Department for Transport

Roads: Chatham and Aylesford

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what funding he has allocated to repair roads in Chatham and Aylesford.

Michael Ellis: Local highway authorities are responsible for the maintenance of the local road network in their area. Chatham’s roads are the responsibility of Medway Council, as highway authority, and Aylesford’s roads are the responsibility of Kent County Council, as highway authority.The funding provided by the Department for Transport for highway maintenance, including pothole repair, to Medway Council and Kent County Council since 2015 is shown in the table below. The table highlights the Department for Transport allocated Medway Council an additional £1.1m and Kent County Council an additional £12m funding in the 2018/19 financial year to support local highways maintenance services, including the repair of roads.YearFunding Stream Funding £m  MedwayKent2015/16Highways Maintenance Block2.5427.272016/17Highways Maintenance Block (including Incentive Element)2.4726.382016/17Pothole Action Fund0.131.472017/18Highways Maintenance Block (including Incentive Element)2.4526.352017/18Pothole Action Fund0.343.722017/18Flood Resilience Fund0.133.722018/19Highways Maintenance Block (including Incentive Element)2.4725.552018/19Pothole Action Fund0.141.562018/19Budget £420 million1.1212.092019/20Highways Maintenance Block (including Incentive Element)2.4726.522019/20Pothole Action Fund0.070.792019/20Flood Resilience Fund0.070.79Total 14.40156.21 The Department funds local highway maintenance in England, outside of London, through Highway Maintenance Block Funding (HMBF), worth about a £1 billion a year. HMBF is paid through a formula based on the assets a local authority is responsible for such as: length of road network; number of bridges and; the number of street lighting columnsFrom 2015 – 2021 the Department is providing £6.6 billion for local highway maintenance in England, outside of London.In the October Budget, the Chancellor announced he was providing an additional £420 million for local highway maintenance, in England.

Transport: North of England

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how he (a) has allocated and (b) plans to allocate in each year between 2015 and 2020 the £13 billion his Department committed to spending on transport across the north of England during that period.

Michael Ellis: The Government is investing over £13 billion in transport in the North between 2015 and 2020 as part of the Northern Powerhouse strategy. This comprises a range of transport improvements including major investments in the Strategic Road Network (SRN), such as the introduction of Smart Motorways, as well as major schemes on the local road network, significant investment in new rolling stock and the rail network and numerous smaller schemes funded through the Local Growth Fund and the Department’s Highways Maintenance and Integrated Transport block funding. The investment has been allocated through funding mechanisms such as the Roads Investment Strategy, rail investment programmes for Control Period 6, and block funding allocations. It is not possible to provide annual profiles as some funding is allocated on a scheme basis rather than by year.

Aviation

Andy McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the Civil Aviation Authority data which shows that the number of domestic aviation routes with more than 1,000 passengers per year has fallen from 228 in 2007 to 188 in 2017.

Michael Ellis: Aviation in the UK operates in the private sector and it is for airlines to determine which routes they should operate. However, the Aviation 2050 consultation acknowledges the benefits regional airports and connectivity can bring to the regions and seeks views on what further actions government could take to enhance and support these connections. The consultation closes on 20 June. Where domestic routes have previously been squeezed out of Heathrow over time, expansion of the airport will provide an unprecedented opportunity to strengthen existing domestic connections and deliver new ones. The Airports National Policy Statement sets a clear expectation that an additional runway at Heathrow will deliver at least 14 domestic routes. We expect many of these connections will be commercially viable. This will ensure that regions are increasingly well connected to the capital and the UK’s biggest airport, supporting new business, tourism and cultural links across the globe.

Railways: Fares

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effect of the cost of train fares on (a) the ability of low-income families to travel on trains and (b) environmental degradation.

Andrew Jones: We understand the concerns many people have about fares and the effect these can have on their budgets, which is why we have ensured that regulated rail fares could rise by no more than inflation for the last six years. In addition, at the start of this year the new Millennial railcard went on sale, allowing young people to save money on their travel. We have also set out plans for a brand new railcard extending half-price child rail fares to 16 and 17-year-olds, which will be launched shortly.All decisions in relation to regulated rail fares are made in line with the Department’s appraisal framework webTAG, which considers the environmental impacts of changes in rail travel patterns.

Railways: Safety

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effect of proposed changes to the number of rail guards on trains on passenger safety.

Andrew Jones: Whilst decisions on staffing are for individual operators, the Government has been clear that it wants to see more staff on our railway not fewer. The Government is not aware of any plans by franchised operators to reduce the number of guards rostered on train services, and it welcomes the commitments made by Northern and South Western that a guard will continue to be rostered on every train after the introduction of Driver Controlled Operation (DCO). The ORR, the independent rail regulator, and the Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) have found that DCO is safe. In addition, an RSSB report concluded that the introduction of DCO according to the standard safety management requirements that all rail companies routinely meet does not increase any other passenger safety risks and, furthermore, that cancelling a DCO train in the absence of its guard is more risky than running it with only its driver.

South Western Railway: Speed Limits

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of speed restrictions have been lifted on services provided by South Western Railway.

Andrew Jones: The total number of speed restrictions imposed by Network Rail on its infrastructure is constantly changing. The total number of speed restrictions on the route has reduced by around 50% in the last six months.

South Western Railway: Recruitment

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many train drivers were recruited by South Western Railway between (a) May 2018 and (b) May 2019.

Andrew Jones: SWR have recruited 139 train drivers since May 2018.

Railways: Compensation

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he has taken to deliver more (a) timely and (b) generous compensation for passengers whose rail journeys have been disrupted.

Andrew Jones: The Department requires operators of new franchises to provide automated Delay Repay compensation processes that make claiming swift and simple and is working with the rail industry and the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) to deliver more automated claims processes across all DfT-let franchises.Recent ORR research shows that 94.7% of passengers report that their compensation claims were resolved within the industry deadline of 20 working days. See https://orr.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/40838/delay-compensation-claims-factsheet-1819-Q3.pdf. Delay Depay 30 is now available on all but one of the DfT franchises. Passengers on 50% of DfT-let franchises are now eligible for improved compensation schemes when their trains are delayed by 15 minutes or more (DR15). Due to the relatively large size of the franchises that now operate DR15, this means that 74% of journeys on DfT franchises now have DR15 available to them. For passengers with single and return tickets, Delay Repay is more generous than the systems in place on most other Western European railways and considerably more generous than the minimum standard of compensation that is set by EU Regulation.

Taxis: Licensing

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he has taken stop private hire cab drivers operating in areas in which they do not have a licence.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: Taxis and private hire vehicles (PHVs) are permitted to undertake pre-booked work outside of the area in which they are licensed. PHVs are subject to a triple licensing lock; the operator fulfilling the request, the driver and vehicle must all be licensed by the same authority. As set out in the Government’s response to the report by the Chair of the Task and Finish Group on Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Licensing, the Government will consider how restrictions on out-of-area journeys might work in practice, with a view to legislating.

Bus Services: Disability

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Government has set a deadline by which every bus nationally will have audio-visual next stop and final destination announcements.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The Government understands the importance of accessible on-board information in helping bus passengers to travel with confidence. Consequently, in Summer 2018, the Government published a public consultation on proposals to require its provision on local bus services throughout Great Britain. We continue to analyse responses to the consultation and expect to announce our next steps regarding the making of Regulations and publication of guidance later in the year.

Great Western Railway Line: Catering

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make it his policy to include in the requirement for a buffet card on all Intercity Express trains in the next franchise contract for the Great Western franchise.

Andrew Jones: The Department published the response to its consultation on the future of the Great Western franchise on 28 August 2018: (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/736146/great-western-rail-franchise-stakeholder-briefing-document.pdf). Decisions on policy on the specification of the next Great Western franchise are informed by this consultation, which did not show strong demand for a buffet car on all Intercity Express Trains.

Great Western Railway Line: Catering

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 16 May 2019 to Question 253626 on Great Western Railway Line: Catering, whether the specification of the Great Western Intercity Express trains designed by his Department stated that a buffet café-bar car was not required.

Andrew Jones: The Intercity Express Programme technical specification includes a requirement that the IEP Trains be capable of providing a range of catering services, from which specific catering services and combinations may be selected. The IEP train also has a flexible design that allows changes to the catering provision in response to future requirements.

Great Western Railway Line: Catering

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to Answer of 16 May 2019 to Question 254217 on Great Western Railway Line: Catering, what assessment his Department made of the potential merits of offering catering option H, a trolley service, on Great Western Railway Intercity Express trains.

Andrew Jones: The Department, in partnership with Great Western Railways (GWR), studied the costs and seating change options, provided by Hitachi Rail, for a buffet on the Intercity Express trains. It concluded, backed by GWR customer research, that the trolley service strikes the balance between ensuring catering is available whilst also maximizing the benefits of the full extra capacity that IETs provide.

Department for Transport: Post Office

Marion Fellows: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when his Department's contracts with Post Office Ltd for (a) driver licensing, (b) vehicle registration, (c) Excise Duty collection, and (d) international driving permits are due to expire; and whether he has plans to extend the duration of those contracts.

Michael Ellis: All four services are provided by a single contract between the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) and Post Office Ltd. The initial term of this contract will expire on 31 March 2020, following which there is an option for a three-year extension. The DVLA is currently considering its options regarding the potential extension, although no decision has yet been made.

Cars: Sales

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of DVLA powers to take enforcement action against car dealerships that are responsible for dangerously and unsafely parked cars.

Michael Ellis: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is responsible for the enforcement of unlicensed vehicles and is able to clamp or remove an unlicensed vehicle if it is seen on a public road. A vehicle that is causing an obstruction, is likely to cause damage or is broken down or abandoned without lawful authority can be dealt with by the police as they have the necessary powers to remove them. Local authorities can also remove abandoned, dangerous and unsafely parked vehicles using powers contained in the Cleaner Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2006. Both the police and local authorities can take action against those responsible for vehicles that are parked dangerously.

Blue Badge Scheme

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the timeframe is for bringing forward legislative proposals to extend the eligibility for the Blue Badge Scheme to include hidden disabilities.

Michael Ellis: The guidance to help local authorities implement the expanded scheme is being finalised and will be issued shortly, and the scheme will become operational on 30 August.

Regional Airports: Air Pollution

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 4 June 2019 to Question 256996 on regional airports: air pollution, what criteria his Department uses to define material impact in determining how a project affects the Government's ability to meet its carbon reductions target.

Michael Ellis: The Government recognises that climate change is one of the most urgent and pressing challenges we face and we are working to ensure the UK takes a leading role in tackling it. In December 2018 the Government published a green paper consultation for a new aviation strategy, ‘Aviation 2050 – The future of UK aviation’. It commits the Government to ensure that the aviation sector plays its part by limiting greenhouse gas emissions and contributing to achieving the UK’s domestic and international climate change obligations. The green paper also includes a proposal that “planning applications for capacity growth provide a full assessment of emissions, drawing on all feasible, cost-effective measures to limit their climate impact and demonstrate that their project will not have a material impact on the Government’s ability to meet its carbon reduction targets”. However, this proposal is still subject to consultation and is not yet the Government’s policy. The consultation closes on 20 June. On 2 May the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) published advice to government, recommending the UK legislates for a 2050 net zero greenhouse gas emissions target. We await aviation specific advice from the CCC and will take this into consideration in the development of Aviation 2050, which is due to be published later this year.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

National Federation of SubPostmasters

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many times (a) he and (b) his officials have met with the CEO of NFSP Ltd in the last 12 months.

Kelly Tolhurst: My rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State has not met with the CEO of NFSP in the last 12 months. I have met with the CEO of NFSP 2 times. Officials have met with the CEO of NSFP 3 times in the last 12 months.

WH Smith: Post Offices

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he has had with Post Office Ltd on the agreement they reached with WHSmith’s following the closure of Crown Post Offices; and if he will make a statement.

Kelly Tolhurst: BEIS Ministers and officials engage regularly with representatives of Post Office Limited on a range of strategic issues of mutual interest. While the Post Office is publicly owned, it is a commercial business operating in competitive markets. The Government sets the strategic direction for the Post Office – to maintain a national network accessible to all and to do so more sustainably for the taxpayer – and allows the company the commercial freedom to deliver this strategy as an independent business. Therefore, issues relating to the Post Office network, including Crown Post Offices and franchising agreements with WHSmith, are all operational matters for Post Office Limited.

Post Offices

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he has had with Post Office Ltd on the retention of the existing network; and if he will make a statement.

Kelly Tolhurst: BEIS Ministers and officials engage regularly with representatives of Post Office Limited on a range of strategic issues of mutual interest. While the Post Office is publicly owned, it is a commercial business operating in competitive markets. The Government sets the strategic direction for the Post Office – to maintain a national network accessible to all and to do so more sustainably for the taxpayer – and allows the company the commercial freedom to deliver this strategy as an independent business. Therefore, issues relating to the Post Office network, including Crown Post Offices and franchising agreements with WHSmith, are all operational matters for Post Office Limited.

Coal

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of existing coal stocks to meet expected needs for electricity generation before coal is phased out.

Chris Skidmore: Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

District Heating: Greenwich

Matthew Pennycook: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will publish the name of the (a) site and (b) operator for each of the 117 heat networks in the Royal Borough of Greenwich registered under the Heat Network (Metering and Billing) Regulations 2014.

Chris Skidmore: The Heat Network (Metering and Billing) Regulations 2014 require heat suppliers to notify their heat networks to the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS). The data is collected for compliance and enforcement purposes. OPSS are able to provide a partial postcode for the heat networks in the Borough, should this be requested. However, the names of heat suppliers and the exact locations of heat networks in the Royal Borough of Greenwich cannot be published as it is commercially sensitive information. Additionally, this data will fall within the definition of ‘personal data’ where it includes information relating to an identifiable person who directly, or indirectly, can be identified by the linking of other data sources. This means it will be subject to the General Data Protection Regulation / Data Protection Act 2018, and consent would be needed from the heat suppliers for its release.

Renewable Energy

Jim McMahon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department has taken to support communities that wish to invest in renewable community energy.

Chris Skidmore: Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Health: Research

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate his Department has made of the amount UK Research and Innovation has spent on research into (a) physical health conditions and (b) mental health conditions in each of the last 5 years.

Chris Skidmore: Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Mental Illness: Research

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether UK Research and Innovation has plans to increase the proportion of funding allocated to research into mental illness in the next financial year.

Chris Skidmore: Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Health: Research

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how UK Research and Innovation considers the disease burden of individual conditions when commissioning funding for individual health research projects.

Chris Skidmore: Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Health: Research

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate he has made of the cost to UK Research and Innovation of research on the prevention of (a) mental and (b) physical ill health in each of the last five years.

Chris Skidmore: Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Electric Vehicles: Taxation

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on reducing the benefit in kind rate tax on electric vehicles before 2020.

Andrew Stephenson: Ministers hold regular discussions with their counterparts in HM Treasury on a range of transport issues. Policy on taxation is a matter for the Treasury. To achieve the ambitions set out in the Road to Zero strategy, Government is investing nearly £1.5 billion between April 2015 and March 2021, with grants available for plug-in vehicles and schemes to support chargepoint infrastructure. This is one of the most comprehensive support packages in the world for zero emission vehicles.

Renewable Energy: Employment

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate he has made of the number of jobs in (a) the renewable energy sector and (b) any associated supply chain created in each nation and region in the UK in each of the past seven years.

Chris Skidmore: The Office for National Statistics publishes data on the low carbon and renewable energy economy in the UK, including direct and indirect activity, employees and turnover. The latest report, “Low Carbon and Renewables Energy Economy, UK: 2017, was published on 31 January 2019. https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/environmentalaccounts/bulletins/finalestimates/2017

Renewable Energy

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate he has made of the energy generated by renewables in each (a) nation and (b) region of the UK in each of the last seven years.

Chris Skidmore: The amount of renewable electricity generated in each of the last seven years, for each nation of the UK, is published in Energy Trends at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/789371/ET_6.1.xlsThe amount of renewable electricity generated for each year from 2003 – 2017, in each region of the UK, is published in Regional Renewable Statistics at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/743830/Generation_of_electricity_from_renewable_sources__2003-2017.xlsFigures for 2018 will be published at the end of September 2019.BEIS does not hold regional data for other types of renewable energy.

Carbon Budgets

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he plans to carry forward part of the second carbon budget in to the third budgetary period.

Chris Skidmore: Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Mineworkers' Pension Scheme

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will review the mineworkers’ pension scheme surplus-sharing arrangements between Government and scheme beneficiaries.

Andrew Stephenson: Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Mineworkers' Pension Scheme

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to reform the mineworkers’ pension scheme in line with the 1993 actuarial review.

Andrew Stephenson: Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Solar Power: Housing

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department plans to take to ensure solar energy remains accessible and affordable to households.

Chris Skidmore: Solar is a UK success story, having until now received 81% of the £5.9bn Feed in Tariff scheme, which has enabled 6.5 GW of new renewable generation across the country. Today, the Government launched its Smart Export Guarantee, which will ensure that all small-scale generators are paid for the power they export to the grid. Residential solar installations are now over 50% cheaper than in 2011, and alongside technologies such as batteries will help consumers export energy when the grid needs it - reducing their bills and making solar more accessible and affordable than ever.

Minimum Wage

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the oral answer of the Minister for Small Business, Consumers and Corporate Responsibility on 4 June 2019, Official Report, column 53, what the evidential basis is for her statement that in 2019, £118 million has been paid back to more than 220,000 workers who were underpaid the minimum wage.

Kelly Tolhurst: Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Energy: Consumers

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 4 June 2019 to Question to 256956 on energy: consumers, what estimate he has made of the number of people on the Priority Services Register in each nation and region of the UK in each year for which data is available.

Chris Skidmore: Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Minimum Wage

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the oral contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, of 4 June 2019, Official Report, column 47, if he will publish the findings of the further analysis that his Department conducted on the potential effect of changes to the National Minimum Wage Naming Scheme on the number of employers named; and when the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy last met the Director of Labour Market Enforcement to discuss the Naming Scheme.

Kelly Tolhurst: The Government is committed to enforcing the National Minimum Wage (NMW). In 2018/19, HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) identified a record £24.4 million in arrears for over 220,000 workers and issued over £17 million in penalties to non-compliant employers. We have more than doubled HMRC’s budget for NMW compliance and enforcement since 2015 to £27.4 million for 2019/20. The Government will resume naming employers found underpaying the NMW. We are reviewing the Naming Scheme to ensure that it continues to effectively support NMW compliance. We will conclude the review during the summer and publish any resulting effects on the operation of the Naming Scheme through the NMW Enforcement policy documents. We are reviewing the Naming Scheme in response to recommendations made by the Director of Labour Market Enforcement (DLME), Professor Sir David Metcalf

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Oman: Detainees

Karen Lee: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what response his Department has had from the Omani authorities since raising the case of the Shuhuh 6.

Dr Andrew Murrison: I raised the allegations with the Omani Ambassador on 21 May who gave assurances that there is no discrimination against members of the Shihuh tribe. Our Ambassador in Muscat has also raised the arrests with the Omani authorities, most recently on 27 May with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs who have also confirmed that there is no discrimination against any tribe or community in Oman. They have also conveyed assurances from the Oman Human Rights Commission that the individuals arrested in Musandam were treated with respect for their human rights and given full access to legal assistance.

Syria: Military Intervention

Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what information his Department holds on the alleged targeting by Syrian and Russia of 13 hospitals in Syria run by the Union of Medical Care and relief organisations.

Dr Andrew Murrison: ​We are appalled by reports that hospitals in north west Syria have been hit by Russian and regime airstrikes. The UN estimate that 20 health facilities, at least 9 of which are hospitals, have been affected by recent hostilities. It is inexcusable that hospitals have been attacked despite their coordinates being provided to Russia and others by the UN deconfliction mechanism. We urgently call on the Syrian regime, Russia and all other actors to abide by international law and respect the ceasefire agreed last year and the deconfliction mechanism.

Nigeria: Islamic State

Liz McInnes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the presence of the Islamic State for West Africa Province in the north-east of Nigeria.

Harriett Baldwin: ​We are deeply concerned by the increase in Islamic State West Africa (ISWA) activity in North Eastern Nigeria. Together with international partners, we are committed to supporting Nigeria and its neighbours in tackling threats to regional stability by ISWA and Boko Haram. Humanitarian operations have been placed under pressure and some suspended, cutting off urgently needed support for up to 120,000 people. We are working with international partners to support contingency planning to protect aid workers, providing strategic military advice and training, and continue to review options for additional UK assistance.

Nigeria: Violence

Liz McInnes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what support his Department is providing to the Nigerian Government to help tackle the farmer-herder conflict in the middle belt of that country.

Harriett Baldwin: ​We are concerned about growing levels of intercommunal violence between farming and herder communities in Nigeria, and regularly raise these concerns with the Nigerian Government at the highest levels. The Foreign Secretary met with Nigerian faith leaders, both Muslim and Christian during his recent visit to Nigeria, to discuss how the UK can support their work to promote interfaith relationships and long-term peace. Our High Commission in Abuja is engaging closely with international partners, the Nigerian Government, faith and community leaders, state governments and the National Economic Council to develop measures which address the underlying causes of the conflict, including the recently-announced bi-partisan National Livestock Transformation Plan.

Brazil: Forests

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions the Government has had with international counterparts in the last 12 months on tackling the deforestation of the Cerrado savannah.

Sir Alan Duncan: The UK has worked closely with Brazil's Ministries of Environment and Agriculture, Livestock and Supply to deliver a number of climate change mitigation and avoided deforestation programmes, including in the Cerrado savannah.For example, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affiars has invested £10 million of international climate finance in the Reducing Deforestation in the Brazilian Cerrado Programme, which ran from 2012 to 2018 in partnership with the World Bank. The programme has successfully enabled 38,017 farmers to enrol on the Rural Environmental Registry in 43 municipalities in order to improve natural resource management and environmental compliance in the Cerrado. The programme also strengthened capacity to prevent and combat forest fires by developing a state of the art monitoring and warning system and supporting twelve municipalities and three Protected Areas to properly manage and combat forest fires.Our current involvement in the Cerrado includes phase 2 of the Rural Sustentável programme, which will start implementation in July. The programme aims to support small and medium-sized farmers in adopting low-carbon agriculture in the Cerrado and Caatinga biomes in order to reduce deforestation. It is being delivered in partnership with Inter-American Development Bank and Brazil's agricultural research agency, with whom we have regular discussions.

Sudan: Press Freedom

Liz McInnes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the level of media freedom in Sudan, following Al-Jazeera being banned from the country.

Harriett Baldwin: ​The UK is deeply concerned at restrictions of the media and reports of international journalist restrictions following reports of Al-Jazeera being closed down on 31 May. Freedom of the press is vital to Sudan's future. The Foreign Secretary's priority international campaign this year is working to ensure that media freedom remains in the international spotlight as a human rights issue.

Ethiopia: Ethnic Groups

Liz McInnes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the Gedeo-Guji dispute in Ethiopia and what support his Department is providing to the Ethiopian Government.

Harriett Baldwin: The Government is concerned about the violence and resultant displacement of people in a number of regions of Ethiopia. We are further concerned by the conditions of recent returns, including from Gedeo to Guji zones. Conflict and displacement present a real risk to the welcome reforms that Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed continues to institute.I raised our concerns and offered assistance in my visits of October 2018 and March 2019. Our Ambassador and senior officials have raised concerns with the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Peace. DFID is currently supporting humanitarian agencies to respond to the needs of IDPs and host communities affected by this crisis, including through support to Ethiopia's humanitarian pooled fund.

Nigeria: Press Freedom

Liz McInnes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the level of media freedom in Nigeria, following the announcement of new conditions for covering government proceedings.

Harriett Baldwin: ​The restrictions announced by the National Assembly on the reporting of its proceedings have now been withdrawn. We believe that the rights of individuals and independent media to express opinions and peacefully challenge authority are essential to a free and open society. We will continue to engage the Nigerian authorities on how best to promote and protect these rights as part of our ongoing dialogue.

Syria: Armed Conflict

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to investigations suggesting that reports of the use of chemical weapons by the Syrian Government in Douma in April 2018 were staged and with reference to reports that OPCW expert advice was redacted from its final report, whether he has made a reassessment of the decision to bomb targets in Syria in 2018.

Sir Alan Duncan: ​The UK has full confidence in the expertise and methodologies of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Fact Finding Mission (FFM). We welcome the clearly-evidenced FFM report on Douma that found "reasonable grounds that the use of a toxic chemical as a weapon has taken place on 7 April 2018. This toxic chemical contained reactive chlorine. The toxic chemical was likely molecular chlorine." We have confidence in this conclusion. The OPCW Technical Secretariat has confirmed that all evidence and views were considered in preparing the FFM report.A significant amount of information indicates that the Syrian Regime was responsible for this attack, a regime with a history of using such weapons against its people. No other group could have carried out this attack. The UK considers that the military action in April last year was legal. The UK is permitted under international law, on an exceptional basis, to take measures in order to alleviate overwhelming humanitarian suffering. The action taken was to alleviate the suffering of the Syrian people which has been exacerbated by the use of chemical weapons.

Belarus: Foreign Relations

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the UK's policy is toward Belarus.

Sir Alan Duncan: UK engagement in Europe's Eastern Neighbourhood is focused on building regional stability, encouraging reform and promoting prosperity. For Belarus, this means encouraging economic reform, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and more responsible participation in the international rules-based system.

Belarus: Diplomatic Relations

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent diplomatic activity there has been with Belarus.

Sir Alan Duncan: The UK has steadily increased its engagement with Belarus since the release of political prisoners in August 2015 and consequent lifting of the majority of EU Restrictive Measures in February 2016. I met President Lukashenka and Foreign Minister Makei in October 2017 in Minsk and FM Makei again in London in March 2018. I last met the Belarusian Ambassador on 30 April. Our officials maintain regular discussions with their Belarusian counterparts, via our Embassy in Minsk, and through multilateral fora, such as the EU, Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and UN.

Syria: Chemical Weapons

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the adequacy of a further investigation by the Investigations and Identification Team to identify those responsible for the incident in Douma without an explanation why the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons excluded an engineering assessment from the report by the Fact Finding Mission team.

Sir Alan Duncan: ​We have full confidence in expertise and methodologies of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Fact Finding Mission (FFM). The OPCW Director General has confirmed that all evidence and views were considered by FFM in reaching its conclusion. The final FFM report of 1 March made a clear conclusion of reasonable grounds to believe a chemical weapons attack took place. Important now the Investigation and Identification Team (IIT) are allowed to move forward with their vital work of identifying those responsible for such attacks in Syria. We are confident the IIT will consider all relevant information when attributing responsibility for such attacks.

Colombia: Overseas Aid

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what programmes his Department allocates funding to in Colombia.

Sir Alan Duncan: ​In Colombia, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office allocates funding to Conflict Serurity and Stability Fund programmes, Prosperity Fund programmes, and to smaller interventions under the International Programme. Our programmes in Colombia are designed to advance Foreign and Commonwealth Office and wider UK Government policy objectives, including achieving the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. Programme funds deliver against a range of policy objectives for example assisting Colombian human rights defenders; supporting implementation of the peace deal; tackling serious organised crime; and supporting institutions, infrastructure, and agricultural development in the country's post conflict and conflict-affected regions.

Mexico: USA

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to his US and Mexican counterparts on the decision by the US Administration to introduce rising tariffs as a means of tackling illegal immigration from Mexico.

Sir Alan Duncan: This is a bilateral issue between the US and Mexico.

Hong Kong: Extradition

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he plans review the UK’s extradition arrangements with Hong Kong if that country allows extradition to China.

Mark Field: We have noted the concerns voiced by legal and business representative organisations and civil society groups in Hong Kong about both the content and the short consultation period allowed for the proposed changes to the Fugitive Offenders Ordinance and the Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Ordinance. We have raised a number of issues relating to the proposals with the Hong Kong Government at senior levels. These include potential implications for our bilateral extradition treaty, as well as the potential consequences for the UK business community and for UK citizens living in or travelling through Hong Kong. We will continue to seek clarity from the authorities on these points. The Foreign Secretary and Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chrystia Freeland, issued a Joint Statement on 30 May 2019, which noted concern for the potential effect of the proposals on the large number of UK and Canadian citizens in Hong Kong, on business confidence and on Hong Kong’s international reputation. They made clear that any extradition arrangements in Hong Kong should be in line with ‘One Country, Two Systems’ and fully respect Hong Kong’s high degree of autonomy. They also urged the Hong Kong Government to engage meaningfully with Hong Kong’s broad range of local and international stakeholders in order to ensure their concerns are fully considered.

Cameroon: Armed Conflict

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to tackle the anglophone situation in Cameroon.

Harriett Baldwin: ​The UK remains deeply concerned at the worsening situation in the North-West and South-West (Anglophone) regions of Cameroon and reports of human rights violations and abuses. Violence is driving people from their homes and impacting on the lives of ordinary civilians, particularly women and children. The UK is providing lifesaving assistance to thousands of people following a £2.5m contribution in December 2018 to the UN emergency appeal to address the crisis. We continue to call on the Government of Cameroon to take urgent action, with the support of regional partners and the wider international community, to prevent further deterioration, including the establishment of a credible political dialogue to address the root causes of the conflict. The British Government regularly raises concerns about Cameroon at the highest levels including at UN Security Council on 4 June and when I met with Cameroon's High Commissioner to the UK on 30 April. The UK continues to call for unhindered humanitarian access to affected populations, an end to violence and investigations into all reports of human rights violations and abuses.

Sudan: Politics and Government

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to his Sudanese counterpart on recent reports of (a) the killing of protesters and (b) human rights abuses in Khartoum.

Harriett Baldwin: As we made clear alongside Troika partners (US and Norway) on 4 June, we condemn the violent attacks by Sudanese security forces against peaceful protestors in Sudan this week, which left many civilians dead or injured. The UK has called for the human rights of all Sudanese people to be respected and for the resumption of the political process leading to an agreed peaceful transfer of power to a civilian-led government, as demanded by the Sudanese people. On 6 June, I summoned the Sudanese Ambassador to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to express our grave concerns at the use of violence against civilians by the Sudanese authorities.

Sudan: Violence

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Government of Sudan on recent violence in Khartoum.

Harriett Baldwin: ​As made clear alongside Troika partners (US and Norway) on 4 June, we condemn the violent attacks by Sudanese security forces against peaceful protestors in Sudan this week, which left many civilians dead or injured. The UK calls for the human rights of all Sudanese people to be respected, the resumption of the political process with the protestors and the opposition, and an agreed transfer of power to a civilian-led government, as demanded by the Sudanese people, in a swift, orderly and peaceful manner. On 6 June, I summoned the Sudanese Ambassador to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to express our grave concerns at the use of violence against civilians by the Sudanese authorities.

Sudan: Politics and Government

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations he has made to the Sudanese Government on negotiations with opposition groups about elections.

Harriett Baldwin: The UK is engaging with the Transitional Military Council (TMC) and with the a range of opposition groups and the protest movement in Sudan. On 6 June, I summoned the Sudanese Ambassador to the UK to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to express our grave concerns at the use of violence against civilians by the Sudanese authorities and to call for the resumption of negotiations that lead to the peaceful handing over of power to civilian leadership. This message has also been firmly delivered in Sudan by our Ambassador to the Deputy Head of the TMC and through the public statements we have made alongside our Troika partners (the USA and Norway).

Sudan: Demonstrations

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what support his Department is providing to the African Union to prevent further violence against protestors in Khartoum.

Harriett Baldwin: The African Union (AU) has an important role to play in solving the crisis in Sudan. We welcome the leadership of the AU has shown in suspending Sudan from the AU, in condemning the recent violence and in calling for a swift move to civilian-led government. The UK is working closely with the AU to promote comprehensive peace negotiations through our role in the Troika, alongside the USA and Norway, building on our long standing support to the AU's mediation efforts to encourage peace and Security in Sudan.

Brazil: Rain Forests

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his counterpart in the Brazilian Government on the deforestation of the Amazon rainforest.

Sir Alan Duncan: Our posts in Brazil frequently engage with the Brazilian Government on a number of environmental issues including deforestation. We are working with Brazil to help ensure it continues to protect the Amazon and have invested nearly £120 million through the International Climate Fund on projects to limit deforestation, prevent forest fires and implement the Forestry Code in the Amazon, Atlantic Forest and Cerrado biomes.

Libya: Undocumented Migrants

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 29 April 2019 to Question 248760 on Libya: Undocumented Migrants, what recent steps his Department has taken to support the urgent humanitarian evacuation from Libya of refugees and migrants held in detention centres in that country.

Sir Alan Duncan: We remain deeply concerned by the situation in Libya and reports of violence in Libyan detention centres. The UK is clear that all parties to the conflict must commit to a ceasefire, ensure unconditional humanitarian access, and return to political talks. All parties to the conflict must do all they can to prevent any further loss of life, including by respecting their obligations under International Humanitarian Law, and evacuating those at risk to safety. The UK has announced a contribution of £1 million to the UN Flash Appeal. This includes: funding to the World Health Organisation to deliver life-saving medical care; and funding to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs to improve humanitarian access for agencies on the ground. The UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) has released $2 million to provide life-saving assistance to civilians caught up in the fighting, including vulnerable migrants and refugees. The UK was the biggest donor to the CERF in 2018, providing £114.3 million.

Northern Ireland Office

Licensing Laws: Northern Ireland

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the Answer of 4 June 2019 to Question 256966, whether Hospitality Ulster responded to the recent consultation of the Northern Ireland Department of Communities on whether changing the law for special events would be beneficial to the hospitality and tourism sectors in Northern Ireland; and if she will make a statement.

John Penrose: This is a devolved matter in Northern Ireland, and as such is the responsibility of the Department for Communities. Information can be requested from the Department for Communities.

Department of Health and Social Care

Cannabis: Medical Treatments

Sir Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, which countries his Department is engaging with in order to learn from their experiences in getting patients access to medical cannabis.

Sir Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what evidence his Department has reviewed from other countries on the effectiveness of cannabis as a medicine.

Seema Kennedy: In developing its policy on cannabis-based products for medicinal use, the Government looked at approaches taken by other countries to learn from their experience. Broadly two approaches have been taken: to regulate as a medicine (both licenced and unlicensed) as in the United Kingdom or to regulate outside of the medicinal regime as in Canada. In reviewing the available international evidence, the Chief Medical Officer for England and Chief Medical Adviser to the UK Government, looked at evidence reviews from the United States, Ireland, Australia, and the World Health Organization. Departmental officials have also reviewed information from a wide range of other countries and have spoken to the authorities and organisations in Australia, Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands, and the United States (New York).

Cannabis: Medical Treatments

Sir Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the oral contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on 20 May 2019, Official Report, column, 571, what plans he has to include observational trials in building up the existing evidence-base.

Seema Kennedy: In all areas of scientific research, a range of evidence builds our understanding. This includes individual cases and observational trials. It is the promise shown from these observational studies and experience, from all around the world, that provides the basis for public funding of further research into the use of cannabis based products as medicines through the National Institute for Health Research. This further clinical research will provide a greater level of understanding of cannabis-based medicines, how to use them to best effect, who may benefit and under what circumstances, how cannabis interacts with other medications and define further any contraindications. It is this level of research outcomes that will provide confidence to prescribers and the information necessary to make routine funding decisions within the National Health Service.The existing experience, studies and research in this area will be used by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence to develop their clinical guidelines due to be published later this year.

Cannabis: Medical Treatments

Sir Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the cost-effectiveness of patients receiving an NHS prescription for wholeplant medical cannabis.

Sir Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish the evidence (a) his Department and (b) the Department for International Trade holds on growing a market for prescribed medicinal cannabis.

Seema Kennedy: An initial impact assessment was published alongside The Misuse of Drugs (Amendments) (Cannabis and Licence Fees) (England, Wales and Scotland) Regulations 2018. This can be viewed at the following link:http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2018/1055/impactsThis set out the approach that the Government proposed to take in assessing the costs and benefits of the change in the law at a population level, with regard to the rescheduling of cannabis-based products for medicinal use (CBPM). This framework included potential savings in treatment costs, giving the example of patients with severe epilepsy for whom medicinal use of cannabis could reduce the frequency of seizures and reduce the number of related hospital admissions. This was an initial framework for assessing this policy and as we develop our knowledge in this area, both on the costs and the potential benefits, we can revisit and refine these assessments.In the meantime, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is developing clinical guidelines on the appropriate use of CBPM based on the best available evidence, and the National Institute for Health Research is funding further clinical research on this. More information is available at the following link:https://www.nihr.ac.uk/funding-and-support/documents/themed-calls/cannabis-based%20products/cannabis-based-products-brief.pdf

Social Prescribing

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will work with NHS England to add measures of loneliness to the NHS England Outcomes Framework for social prescribing.

Caroline Dinenage: As social prescribing is locally driven, different approaches to evaluation and the measurement of outcomes have emerged across England. To encourage consistent data gathering and reporting of outcomes, NHS England has worked with a wide range of stakeholders to develop a Common Outcomes Framework for measuring the impact of social prescribing. Working with a wide range of stakeholders, a consensus has been built for all social prescribing connector schemes to measure a number of outcomes, including impact on the person. This includes how a person’s wellbeing has improved, whether they are less lonely and whether they feel more in control and have a better quality of life. More information on the Common Outcomes Framework can be found in ‘Social prescribing and community-based support Summary guide’, published by NHS England in January 2019 which is available at the following link:www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/social-prescribing-community-based-support-summary-guide.pdf

Diabetes: Mental Health Services

Mr George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will increase resources for (a) emotional and (b) mental health support for people living with diabetes.

Seema Kennedy: The NHS Long Term Plan committed to increasing the provision of mental health support for all patients who require it. The importance of addressing the mental health needs of people with diabetes is recognised and further work is underway to consider the most effective routes for supporting this as part of the future development of services. On 21 March 2018, NHS England and NHS Improvement, along with the National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health, published ‘The Improving Access to Psychotherapy Therapy (IAPT) Pathway for People with Long-term Physical Health Conditions and Medically Unexplained Symptoms.’ The guidance outlines the IAPT pathway, and accompanying benchmarks, to support the national expansion of IAPT services for adults with long term conditions and medically unexplained symptoms. In addition, a project working group has been established involving NHS England, Diabetes UK and other stakeholders which aims to develop a care pathway which, when adopted locally, would help improve access to emotional and psychological support for people with diabetes.

Diabetes: Mental Health Services

Mr George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will request the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence to amend its guidance on Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes to include the identification of emotional and psychological support needs in all diabetes care.

Seema Kennedy: As an independent body, following the referral of a guideline topic by NHS England or Ministers, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) develops the scope of its guidelines in consultation with stakeholders.NICE’s published guidelines on the management of type 1 diabetes in children and adults include recommendations on emotional and psychological support. This guidance is available on the NICE website.

Prostate Cancer: Screening

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to encourage men to get tested for prostate cancer.

Seema Kennedy: There are risks and benefits ‎of testing for prostate cancer. There are side effects to many of the treatments for prostate cancer, such as impotence and incontinence, but, there is no doubt that, in some cases, if found early, ‎it could save lives. However, many of the men having tests and receiving treatment would not have any symptoms or problems relating to their cancers in their life.The Prostate Cancer Risk Management Programme (PCRMP) supports men in making an informed choice on whether to be tested for prostate cancer. The PCRMP provides general practitioners and primary care professionals with information to counsel asymptomatic men aged 50 and over who ask about prostate specific antigen testing for prostate cancer.Further information on the PCRMP is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/guidance/prostate-cancer-risk-management-programme-overview

Dental Services: Finance

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much Government funding was allocated to NHS orthodontist services in each of the last three years.

Seema Kennedy: Information on funding allocations for National Health Service orthodontist services is not available. NHS England is responsible for determining funding allocations for NHS dentistry. These allocations are included in the primary care allocations made to NHS regional teams. However, NHS England does not allocate funding specifically for NHS orthodontics. Data on NHS orthodontics expenditure is not held centrally.

Allergies: Medical Equipment

Andrea Jenkyns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the availability of epinephrine auto injectors for children in (a) Wakefield and (b) England.

Seema Kennedy: Supplies of all paediatric epinephrine auto-injectors are currently available in volumes that are sufficient to meet normal United Kingdom demand. The Department does not hold information about the volume available in Wakefield. All patients who require an epinephrine (adrenaline) auto-injector should now be able to obtain a device from their pharmacy. The Department continues to work very closely with all the manufacturers of epinephrine auto-injectors and can confirm that the supply situation continues to improve.

General Practitioners: Standards

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of GP surgeries are rated as Good by the CQC in (a) England, (b) Barnet, and (c) Hendon constituency.

Seema Kennedy: The Care Quality Commission has confirmed that as of 24 May 2019, 90.1% of general practitioner (GP) surgeries were rated as good in England, 98.1% of GP surgeries were rated as good in Barnet, and 94.4% of GP surgeries were rated as good in Hendon.

Pancreatitis: Research

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what funding he is providing to support research into chronic pancreatitis.

Caroline Dinenage: Research on health and social care continues to be funded by the Government through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR).The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including chronic pancreatitis. As with other major research funders, the NIHR does not ring-fence funds for particular topics or conditions. Applications for funding are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality.The NIHR’s support for research into chronic pancreatitis which is currently ongoing or recently concluded (in financial year 2018/19) includes one directly funded study, with a total award of £262,500, investigating the use of antioxidants and magnesium for the treatment of pain in hereditary and idiopathic chronic pancreatitis. In addition, the NIHR funded two studies through its early translational research infrastructure and five through the NIHR Clinical Research Network, which provides support for delivering research funded by the NIHR itself and other public, charity and industry research funders.

Cannabis: Medical Treatments

Sir Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the accuracy of evidence base on the cost-effectiveness of medical cannabis.

Seema Kennedy: An initial impact assessment was published alongside The Misuse of Drugs (Amendments) (Cannabis and Licence Fees) (England, Wales and Scotland) Regulations 2018. This can be viewed at the following link:http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2018/1055/impactsThis set out the approach that the Government proposed to take in assessing the costs and benefits of the change in the law at a population level, with regard to the rescheduling of cannabis-based products for medicinal use (CBPM). This framework included potential savings in treatment costs, giving the example of patients with severe epilepsy for whom medicinal use of cannabis could reduce the frequency of seizures and reduce the number of related hospital admissions. This was an initial framework for assessing this policy and as we develop our knowledge in this area, both on the costs and the potential benefits, we can revisit and refine these assessments.In the meantime, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is developing clinical guidelines on the appropriate use of CBPM based on the best available evidence, and the National Institute for Health Research is funding further clinical research on this. More information is available at the following link:https://www.nihr.ac.uk/funding-and-support/documents/themed-calls/cannabis-based%20products/cannabis-based-products-brief.pdf

Care Homes: Inspections

Melanie Onn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made on the effectiveness of inspection methods in care homes.

Caroline Dinenage: The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and adult social care providers in England and has a key responsibility in the overall assurance of safety and quality of health and adult social care services. The CQC monitors its own effectiveness of inspection methods in care home and other health settings in a number of ways to ensure that everyone is safe from harm, abuse and neglect. In addition, the CQC is currently collaborating with the University of Manchester’s Alliance Manchester Business School on research exploring the impact of the CQC on the quality of care.

Social Services: Older People

Scott Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what (a) funding and (b) grants her Department makes available to elderly people in relation to the provision of social care.

Caroline Dinenage: The Government has given councils access to up to £3.9 billion for 2019-20. This includes a £240 million adult social care winter fund to help local authorities alleviate winter pressures on the National Health Service, getting patients home quicker and freeing up hospital beds across England. As a result of these measures, funding available for adult social care is increasing by 9% in real terms from 2015-16 to 2019-20, allowing councils to support more people including the elderly and to sustain a diverse care market.The Disabled Facilities Grant supports older and disabled people, on low incomes, to adapt their homes to make them suitable for their needs. The amount of funding available has more than doubled from £220 million in 2015-16 to £505 million in 2019-20. Furthermore, the most recent data shows public spending figures on adult social care amounted to £17.1 billion in 2017-18 with £5.3 billion spent on older adults.

General Practitioners

Thelma Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether safeguards are in place to ensure that patients' rights to continuity of care with their named GP will be protected in the new Primary Care Network contract, published in March 2019.

Seema Kennedy: The new Primary Care Network arrangements will not prevent patients seeing their preferred professional at their practice. The core general practice contract will still include a requirement for each contractor to ensure that for each of its registered patients, there is assigned an accountable general medical practitioner (an ‘accountable GP’).

Food: Advertising

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the potential reduction in daily calories consumed by children as a result of (a) the consultation on restricting promotions of food and drink that is high in fat, sugar and salt consultation and (b) further advertising restrictions on such products.

Seema Kennedy: Estimates of the potential reduction in daily calories consumed by children as a result of the measures set out in the consultations on restricting promotions of products high in fat, sugar and salt, and introducing further advertising restrictions on such products are provided in the impact assessments published alongside each consultation. These are available at the following links: ‘Restricting volume promotions for high fat, sugar and salt (HFSS) products’ impact assessment:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/770705/impact-assessment-for-restricting-volume-promotions-for-HFSS-products.pdf‘Restricting checkout, end-of-aisle, and store entrance sales of food and drinks high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS) impact assessment:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/770706/impact-assessment-restricting-checkout-end-of-aisle-and-store-entrance-sales-of-HFSS.pdf‘Introducing a 2100-0530 watershed on TV advertising of HFSS (food and drink that are High in Fat, Salt and Sugar) products and similar protection for children viewing adverts online’ impact assessment:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/786554/advertising-consultation-impact-assessment.pdf

Social Services

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to bring forward a social care Green Paper.

Caroline Dinenage: As people live longer than ever before, sometimes with complex care needs, we need to ensure the social care system is sustainable in the longer term. The Green Paper remains a priority for the Government. We are continuing to work on it closely, taking the time to consult with key stakeholders and take their feedback into consideration. As such, it will be published at the earliest opportunity.

Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of trends in the number of symptomatic breast appointments at Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in each of the last five years.

Seema Kennedy: NHS England publishes monthly National Health Service trust level cancer performance data. The following tables show referrals and performance for Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and nationally in March in each of the last five years against this standard. Number of referrals for two week wait breast symptomatic (where cancer not initially suspected) from general practitioner (GP) urgent referral to first consultant appointment 93% standard in March in each of the last 5 years at Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and nationally.-March 2015March 2016March 2017March 2018March 2019Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust91115128125154National20,10019,60021,00016,80017,300

Food Standards Agency: Powers

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what additional powers he plans to confer on the Food Standards Agency after the UK leaves the EU.

Seema Kennedy: Decisions about what additional powers could be transferred to the Food Standards Agency after the United Kingdom leaves the European Union would be subject to consultation. We need to understand the nature of the decisions further before setting out which powers can be delegated. Decisions would sit with Ministers in the first instance while routine and technical ones would be delegated later.

Food: Standards

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress he has made on implementing the regulating our future programme in relation to food standards; and whether the implementation of that programme requires legislative change.

Seema Kennedy: Since December, good progress has been made to develop proposals and an update on these will be presented at the next meeting of the Food Standards Agency (FSA) Board on 19 June 2019. This will advise on the progress to date and the plans to implement a modernised food standards delivery model over the next two years. The Board Paper has been published on the FSA’s website ahead of the meeting and is available at the following link: https://www.food.gov.uk/sites/default/files/media/document/fsa-19-06-06-regulating-our-future-rof-delivering-a-modernised-model-for-food-standards-official-controls.pdf

Haematological Cancer: Mental Health Services

Hannah Bardell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure blood cancer patients receive adequate emotional and psychological support during their treatment.

Seema Kennedy: In line with the NHS Long Term Plan, by 2021 every cancer patient will be offered personalised care and support planning, based on a holistic needs assessment, done in conjunction with the patient and in accordance with the NHS England Comprehensive Personalised Care model. This will be offered whether the person is due to undergo treatment or not, and includes all patients with blood cancer.

Cancer: Diagnosis

Hannah Bardell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of extending the Scottish Cancer Referral Guidelines for the rest of the UK to ensure consistent diagnoses of cancer.

Seema Kennedy: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) updated referral guidelines for suspected cancer was published in June 2015, ‘Suspected cancer: recognition and referral.’ It was estimated that the updated guideline could save about 5,000 lives a year with general practitioners (GPs) urged to think of cancer sooner and lower the referral threshold for tests. The NHS Long Term Plan also reaffirms that all GPs should use the latest evidence-based guidance from NICE to identify people at risk of cancer.

Haematological Cancer: Health Services

Hannah Bardell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to improve the coordination of oncology and haematology care for blood cancer patients.

Seema Kennedy: Cancer Alliances are working with local sustainability and transformation partnerships and integrated care systems to improve care and reduce variation across whole patient pathways.

NHS: Public Appointments

Stephen McPartland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 29 May to Question 256286 on NHS: Public Appointments, how many NHS posts with salaries above £142,000 are awaiting ministerial sign-off by (a) his Department and (b) HM Treasury.

Stephen Hammond: This information is not held in the format requested.National Health Service organisations are not required to seek Departmental approval or comment on salaries of less than £150,000.As at 6 June there are 17 NHS posts with salaries at or above £150,000 awaiting ministerial approval or comment.

Social Services: Recruitment

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much his Department spent on the Every Day is Different social care recruitment campaign between its inception and 31 May 2019.

Caroline Dinenage: Excluding staffing costs, the Department has spent £2.688 million on the Every Day is Different social care recruitment campaign between its inception and 31 May 2019.

Social Services: Recruitment

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what funding his Department has allocated to promoting the Every Day is Different social care recruitment campaign on social media (a) in each month between February and May 2019 and (b) in total.

Caroline Dinenage: The Department has allocated the following net media costs to promoting the Every Day is Different social care recruitment campaign on social media in: February 2019 £91,739.73March 2019 £265,652.63April 2019 £0May 2019 £0 Total £357,392.36 These are net social media buying costs for the whole of England over almost two months. This activity was tightly targeted and performed strongly amongst the target audience.

Social Services: Recruitment

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many applications for social care roles have been made through the Every Day is Different careers portal (a) in each month between February and May 2019 and (b) in total.

Caroline Dinenage: The Every Day is Different campaign drove people to the campaign website www.everydayisdifferent.com to find out more about what it means to work in adult social care, and then signposted people to search and apply for relevant jobs on the existing jobs board website, DWP Find a Job.Online applications are therefore not tracked through the ‘Every Day is Different’ website. Potential applicants can also apply through a range of other national and local online jobs boards and through offline means such as walk-in enquiries or by telephone.

Social Services: Recruitment

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people entered the social care workforce between (a) February and May 2019, (b) February and May 2018 and (c) February and May 2017.

Caroline Dinenage: Skills for Care use the national minimum dataset for social care to make estimates about jobs in the independent adult social care sector.They estimate that between February and May 2017 48,000 jobs in the independent adult social care sector were started by people recruited from outside of the sector. They estimate that 53,000 jobs in the independent adult social care sector were started by people recruited from outside of the sector in the same period in 2018. This includes permanent and temporary jobs. Data is not yet available for 2019.

Social Services: Recruitment

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many different social care roles have been advertised on the Every Day is Different careers portal (a) in each month between February and May 2019 and (b) in total.

Caroline Dinenage: The Every Day is Different campaign drove people to the campaign website www.everydayisdifferent.com to find out more about what it means to work in adult social care, and then signposted people to search and apply for relevant jobs on the existing jobs board DWP Find a Job.Therefore, there is not a specific ‘Every Day is Different careers portal’ which employers can advertise vacancies on. Adult social care providers/employers were encouraged to support the campaign by advertising their vacancies on existing national and local online job boards, including DWP Find a Job.

Health

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the oral statement of 5 November 2018, Official Report, column 1269, what progress he has made on  the structure of a health in all policies approach to policy-making.

Seema Kennedy: In the Prevention Vision document, ‘Prevention is Better Than Cure’, we committed to publishing a Prevention Green Paper setting out Government plans on prevention in more detail, including our approach to health in all policies. This Green Paper will be published in due course.

Learning Disability: Nurses

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to increase the number of NHS learning disability nurses.

Caroline Dinenage: The Department and Health Education England are undertaking work to ensure that the National Health Service has access to learning disability nurses required to deliver high quality care. This includes ensuring nurses in other sectors have opportunities within their competency frameworks to develop their skills further to work in mental health and learning disability nursing and offering postgraduate students who commenced their loan funded studies in 2018/19 a £10,000 incentive payment once they take up employment in the field.In addition, Health Education England continues to work with stakeholders across the health and social care system to raise the profile of learning disability nursing, including working with the university sector to recruit more students onto courses and in partnership with the University and Colleges Admissions Service a recruitment campaign which is run during university clearing.

Smoking: Children

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his policy paper, Smoke-free generation: tobacco control plan for England, published on 18 July 2017, what progress he has made on achieving the target to reduce the number of 15 year olds who regularly smoke from eight per cent to three per cent or less.

Seema Kennedy: The Government has a strong track record of reducing harm caused by tobacco, based on a comprehensive approach to tobacco control aimed at preventing young people from taking up smoking and encouraging existing smokers to quit, including bans on smoking in public places, and on promotion and advertising of tobacco products.The latest available date shows that the proportion of 15-year olds who regularly smoke was 7% in 2016, down from 8% in 2014. An update of this data will be published on 25 July 2019.

Cancer: Screening

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the timeframe is for the roll-out of the national screening programme for cancer; and how many patients will initially be included in that programme.

Seema Kennedy: The National Health Service provides three national cancer population-based screening programmes as part of the Section 7a Public Health services, commissioned by NHS England on behalf of the Secretary of State.During 2018, the NHS screened 3.2 million women for cervical abnormalities; 2.6 million people for bowel cancer; and 2.1 million women for breast cancer.The NHS Long Term Plan commits to modernising the Bowel Cancer screening programme to detect more cancers earlier by lowering the starting age for bowel screening from 60 to 50 over time and replacing the guaiac Faecal Occult Blood Test kit with the more sensitive Faecal Immunochemical Test for haemoglobin from summer 2019. It also confirmed that using human papillomavirus testing as the primary screen for cervical cancer will be implemented across England by 2020.

Cancer: Screening

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to tackle the decline in the number of women taking up (a) breast and (b) cervical cancer screening.

Seema Kennedy: Professor Sir Mike Richards has published his interim independent review of national cancer screening programmes in England.The interim report makes two recommendations: that local systems across the country take immediate action to address the decline in screening uptake by implementing interventions for which a clear evidence base already exists; and that national stakeholders should ensure IT systems for general practitioner registrations and screening are fit for purpose.The report notes that in order to encourage uptake in harder to reach groups, the Government needs to build the evidence base for other emerging interventions, paying particular attention to novel approaches that have been introduced locally and appear to be successful. Evaluation would be needed to determine whether they can be replicated on a wider scale. Professor Sir Mike Richards has committed to gathering further evidence on these and other interventions as the review progresses and will include specific work with faith and ethnic groups, experts on physical and learning disabilities and with LGBT+ communities on their specific concerns about screening, with a particular focus on the transgender community.The Government awaits the final recommendations which will be reported in the summer 2019, and will consider these carefully, alongside the recommendations from the recent reports published by the Public Accounts Committee, the National Audit Office's investigation into screening and the national Cancer Strategy.

Cancer: Screening

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to clarify governance arrangements for cancer screening between the NHS, Public Health England and his Department.

Seema Kennedy: Officials from the Department and Public Health England have engaged with Professor Sir Mike Richards to ensure that his ongoing review gives consideration to the governance of all screening programmes.The Terms of Reference for Professor Sir Mike Richards' Review include making recommendations, if needed, on how NHS England interacts with Public Health England and the Department to translate screening policy into implementation and on how screening programmes should be commissioned, delivered, performance managed and quality assured in the future.Professor Sir Mike Richards published an interim report on 24 May on his emerging findings of the independent review of national screening programmes in England. However, the Government awaits the final recommendations which will be reported in summer 2019, and will consider these carefully, alongside the recommendations from the recent reports published by the Public Accounts Committee, the National Audit Office's investigation into screening and the national Cancer Strategy.The findings of the review will be taken forward as part of the NHS Long Term Plan.

Health Professions: Recruitment

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to make the NHS an attractive place to work for doctors and nurses.

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of trends in the level of (a) doctor and (b) nurse retention in the NHS over the last decade.

Stephen Hammond: NHS Digital publishes Hospital and Community Health Services workforce statistics. These include staff working in hospital trusts and clinical commissioning groups, but not staff working in primary care, local authorities or other providers.The following table shows the number of nurses and health visitors who have joined and left National Health Service employment, as at September for each of the years specified and at December, the latest data, in the last year, headcount. JoinersLeaversSeptember 2009 to September 201026,12525,940September 2010 to September 201123,44427,462September 2011 to September 201224,39432,816September 2012 to September 201329,44728,547September 2013 to September 201431,70330,551September 2014 to September 201533,09933,800September 2015 to September 201632,76232,926September 2016 to September 201730,42433,530September 2017 to September 201831,58032,155December 2017 to December 201835,36933,698 Source: NHS Digital Workforce StatisticsThe latest data shows that more nurses and health visitors joined employment in the NHS than left.The following table shows the number of doctors who have joined and left NHS employment, as at September for each of the years specified and at December,the latest data, in the last year, headcount. JoinersLeaversSeptember 2009 to September 201016,81415,038September 2010 to September 201116,63015,529September 2011 to September 201216,77215,916September 2012 to September 201318,01316,574September 2013 to September 201419,69917,338September 2014 to September 201519,78718,688September 2015 to September 201618,32216,608September 2016 to September 201719,48216,380September 2017 to September 201820,80618,414December 2017 to December 201820,96118,070 Source: NHS Digital Workforce StatisticsOver the past 10 years, data consistently shows that more doctors joined employment in the NHS than left. NHS Improvement and NHS Employers are working in partnership to support trusts to improve retention of the nursing workforce. They offer targeted support to trusts to collaborate on key issues affecting retention such as flexible working, supporting new starters and older workers, and development and career planning.Alongside these retention programmes, the NHS published its interim People Plan on 3 June. It sets out a plan of action to meet the health requirements of the population outlined in the NHS Long Term Plan. The Interim People plan puts NHS people at the heart of NHS policy and a key programme is to make the NHS the best place to work. It was developed by engaging widely with staff, patients, employers, professional organisations, regulatory bodies, voluntary sector, academia and other experts. A new offer for all NHS staff will be developed, which will be published in the final People Plan.

Cancer: Air Pollution

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what research his Department has commissioned or supported examining the effect of air quality on cancer rates in specific locations.

Caroline Dinenage: The Department invests over £1 billion a year in health research through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including to examine the effects of air quality on cancer rates in specific locations. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality.The NIHR funds a broad spectrum of research on the effects of air quality on health through the NIHR Health Protection Research Units (HPRUs). Since 2014, the NIHR has funded the HPRU in Health Impact of Environmental Hazards at a cost of £4.4 million. This Unit is a partnership between King’s College London and Public Health England and conducts a wide-ranging programme of research on the health impacts of air pollutants.

Self-harm: Health Services

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies on increasing support for people who are self-harming of the Lancet article, Prevalence of non-suicidal self-harm and service contact in England, 2000–14: repeated cross-sectional surveys of the general population, published on 4 June 2019.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Musculoskeletal Disorders: Health Services

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the NHS Long Term Plan and NHS Planning Guidance commitments for 2019-20, what progress his Department has made on the commitment to build on work already undertaken to ensure that patients have direct access to MSK First Contact Practitioners; and if he will make a statement.

Seema Kennedy: To support the 2018/19 mobilisation of first contact practitioner (FCP) services for musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions, 98% of sustainability and transformation plans identified pilot sites for FCP services and 98% of those sites were operational by 31 March 2019. The NHS Long Term Plan’s commitment is to build on this work of piloting FCP services across England. Further progress to be delivered in 2019/20 includes the development of a national mobilisation plan for local systems to roll out this service for patients across the country. To support successful mobilisation by local systems, the specification for FCP services for MSK conditions has recently been published and can be found via the following link:www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/elective-care-high-impact-interventions-first-contact-practitioner-msk-services-specification.pdfAll adults in England will have direct access to MSK FCP by 2023/24, across all Primary Care Networks. This will enable patients to see the right professional first time, first place without needing a general practitioner (GP) referral. NHS England published a five-year framework for GP contract reform this year which has committed to invest £891 million to fund an additional 20,000 workforce across five staff groups including MSK FCPs to support general practice.

Lung Diseases: Screening

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the NHS Long Term Plan and NHS Planning Guidance commitments for 2019-20, what progress his Department has made on the commitment to build on the Right Care programme to reduce variation in quality of spirometry testing across the country; and if he will make a statement.

Seema Kennedy: As set out in the Long Term Plan, an Implementation Framework will be published shortly which will set out the next steps the National Health Service will take to deliver the commitments and the national activity and support available to systems. The Implementation Framework will assist systems, which will build on the engagement already taking place across the country, in developing their strategic Long Term Plan implementation plan over the summer. NHS England and Improvement will then publish a national implementation plan in the autumn.As set out in the NHS Planning Guidance, all systems will work with the NHS RightCare programme to implement national priority initiatives for respiratory conditions in 2019/20.Action will include:- Expanding the pioneering lung health checks trialled in Manchester and Liverpool, which will identify more cancers quickly and detect other conditions including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD); and - Rolling out the NHS RightCare COPD pathway nationally through clinical commissioning groups. This includes timely access to pulmonary rehabilitation as part of the optimal treatment pathway. The pathway provides a set of resources to support local health economies to concentrate their improvement efforts to address variation and improve population health.

Cancer: Diagnosis

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the NHS Long Term Plan and NHS Planning Guidance commitments for 2019-20, what progress his Department has made against the commitment to roll-out new Rapid Diagnostic Centres; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the NHS Long Term Plan and NHS Planning Guidance commitments for 2019-20, what progress his Department has made against the commitment to deploy more mobile lung CT scanners starting in parts of the country with the lowest lung cancer survival rates; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Hammond: As set out in the NHS Long Term Plan, an Implementation Framework will be published shortly which will set out the next steps the National Health Service will take to deliver the commitments and the national activity and support available to systems. The Implementation Framework will assist local health systems, who will build on the engagement already taking place across the country, in developing their strategic Long Term Plan implementation plan over the summer. NHS England and NHS Improvement will then publish a national implementation plan in the autumn.NHS England has made Service Development Funding available to every Cancer Alliance across the country to support the roll out from this year, starting with one Rapid Diagnostic Centre in each cancer alliance region in 2019/20.NHS England has announced funding of £70 million over four years to fund lung health checks in 10 areas of the country with some of the highest death rates from lung cancer. The roll out has the potential to reach around 600,000 people over four years, detecting approximately 3,400 cancers and saving hundreds of lives across the country. Work has started now in the 10 areas to plan the delivery of projects.

Cancer: Diagnosis

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the NHS Long Term Plan and NHS Planning Guidance commitments for 2019-20, what progress his Department has made against the commitment to start data collection for all patients for the new faster diagnosis standard and to start ramping up performance as additional diagnostic capacity comes online; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Hammond: As set out in the NHS Long Term Plan, an Implementation Framework will be published shortly which will set out the next steps the National Health Service will take to deliver the commitments and the national activity and support available to systems. The Implementation Framework will assist local health systems, who will build on the engagement already taking place across the country, in developing their strategic Long Term Plan implementation plan over the summer. NHS England and NHS Improvement will then publish a national implementation plan in the autumn.We will begin introducing a new faster diagnosis standard from 2020 to ensure most patients receive a definitive diagnosis or ruling out of cancer within 28 days of referral from a general practitioner or from screening.As set out in the NHS Operational Planning and Contracting Guidance 2019/20, all providers must start collecting mandatory data items for the 28-day faster diagnosis standard cohorts this year and, working through their Cancer Alliance, use the data to improve time to diagnosis, in particular for lung, prostate and colorectal cancers, before the standard is introduced in 2020.

Opiates: Misuse

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the quality of care and therapy provision for people with opioid addiction.

Seema Kennedy: The Care Quality Commission (CQC) routinely carries out reviews of substance misuse services. In their most recent assessment the CQC rated the majority of residential substance misuse centres and community substance misuse centres as good or outstanding.Public Health England (PHE) has published a comprehensive review of the evidence on the drug misuse treatment system in England. In comparison with other countries and the international research, it shows the system is performing well but there are some areas where we can improve. Although the review covers drug treatment effectiveness, it does not address the quality of care and therapy. The review is available to view at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/drug-misuse-treatment-in-england-evidence-review-of-outcomes

Patients: Travel

Rosie Duffield: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people have accessed the NHS Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme in Canterbury constituency in each of the last three years.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Public Health: Finance

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential effect on the delivery of local authority public health services of not increasing public health funding in the next spending review; and if he will make a statement.

Seema Kennedy: Future funding for local authorities’ public health responsibilities will be considered carefully in the next spending review, taking full account of the available evidence.

Louth County Hospital

Melanie Onn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effect on the provision of accident and emergency care in Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust hospitals of the reduction in services at Louth hospital.

Melanie Onn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has made to tackle the projected 7 per cent increase in A&E admissions in 2019-20 at Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Trust hospitals.

Stephen Hammond: The provision of accident and emergency care in Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust is a matter for local determination. The Trust is also experiencing increases generally due to an upward trend in both accident and emergency (A&E) attendances and admissions from the East Lincolnshire Clinical Commissioning Group area.The Trust has planned for more growth in attendances and admissions in 2019/20 and is working with partners across Lincolnshire to manage increases in attendances/admissions by:- Developing an Urgent Treatment Centre at the Diana Princess of Wales Hospital to handle non-emergency cases;- Increasing the hours worked by consultants at the A&E at the Diana Princess of Wales Hospital;- Working with East Midlands Ambulance Service to make sure they take patients to the most appropriate hospital within their region;- Continuing to work closely to ensure the timely discharge of patients by having social services staff from local councils, including Lincolnshire County Council, working at the Diana Princess of Wales Hospital to facilitate this; and- Working with clinical commissioning groups and other partners on activities to reduce attendances through better access to general practitioners and improve out of hospital provision.

Genito-urinary Medicine

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to support local authority sexual health services in the event that public health funding is not increased as part of the spending review.

Seema Kennedy: Public health funding for 2020 onwards, including for sexual health services, will be considered carefully in the next spending review, in the light of all the available evidence. Local authorities have been mandated to commission comprehensive open access sexual health services and are best placed to understand and meet the public health needs of their local communities.

Dementia: North East Lincolnshire

Melanie Onn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made on the adequacy of the number of dementia care beds in North East Lincolnshire.

Caroline Dinenage: Data from the Care Quality Commission show that in June 2019 there are 1,549 beds in care homes for dementia in North East Lincolnshire local authority. Commissioning social care beds is a matter for local authorities who are best placed to understand the needs of local people and communities, and how best to meet them. For this reason, the Care Act 2014 placed duties on local authorities to shape their local markets so that there is an adequate supply of provision which ensures all adult social care service users have a choice of high quality services.

Hospitals: Vacancies

Ellie Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many vacancies in each job position there are in each hospital in south east London.

Stephen Hammond: NHS Improvement collects vacancy data for three staff groups; doctors, nurses and ‘other staff’. These vacancy statistics are published for England and at the regional level of North, Midlands and East, London and South.It does not specifically produce vacancy data for each job position in each hospital in south east London.NHS Digital published the latest NHS Improvement vacancy data which can be found in the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhs-vacancies-survey/february-2015---march-2019-provisional-experimental-statistics

Department for International Development

Developing Countries: Mental Health Services

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent steps his Department has taken to improve mental health education in developing countries.

Harriett Baldwin: DFID is committed to strengthening mental health in education. This is outlined in DFID’s new Disability Inclusion Strategy (2018-2023) and Education Policy (2018). DFID supports Syrian refugee children to recover from war through the No Lost Generation Initiative in Lebanon (2016-2020). In the last year, DFID has been supporting the Ministry of Education in the roll-out of a child protection policy in schools, and supported training of school counsellors and school child protection focal points in psychological first aid and support. This enables them to better identify, support and refer children at risk. Over the last six months, DFID has also worked closely with Education Cannot Wait, the first global fund on education in emergencies, to strengthen mental health and psychosocial support in schools. In May 2019 Education Cannot Wait started a formal partnership with the Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Collaborative for Children and Families. As a result, children will be able to access opportunities for healing, recovery and learning in safe and nurturing educational environments in conflict and humanitarian settings.

Developing Countries: Climate Change

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much of the £5.8 billion allocated to international climate finance between 2016-17 and 2020-21 will be allocated to raising awareness of climate change in developing countries.

Harriett Baldwin: We do not allocate money from the ICF specifically to raise awareness of climate change in developing countries. Nearly all developing countries signed the 2015 Paris Agreement and they continue to be active in the international climate negotiations. The Least Developed Country group (a bloc of 48 nations particularly vulnerable to climate change) were among those calling on the United Nations Secretary General to convene a climate summit in September this year to raise global ambition on tackling climate change. The UK and Egypt, alongside Malawi, Bangladesh, the Netherlands and St Lucia, are leading work to secure international commitments to take more action to help countries cope with climate change impacts. Developing country governments are already taking action themselves. For example, Bangladesh has introduced a National Resilience Programme to ensure it has the capacity to respond to extreme weather events, and the UK is assisting them with that. Bangladesh is one of the global leaders in cutting the cost and impact of natural disasters.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Ebola

Liz McInnes: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what support his Department is providing to health workers working on the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Harriett Baldwin: The UK continues to take the Ebola outbreak in eastern DRC extremely seriously, providing funding and technical assistance to the response. Our funding to the WHO goes to directly support the public health response. Health workers are provided with training, vaccination, and access to personal protection equipment to reduce the risk of infection. We are also supporting other efforts within the response that are essential to building community trust. The UK strongly condemns attacks on health workers and facilities and will continue to support the DRC Government and UN system to work with affected communities to ensure the safety and security of all frontline responders. All those involved in fighting Ebola must be able to work in safety for the benefit of those being affected by this outbreak.

Developing Countries: Health Services

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps his Department is taking to support the safe management of health and hygiene services in developing nations to help tackle antimicrobial resistance.

Dr Andrew Murrison: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major global health threat, and tackling it is a UK priority. DFID, alongside the Department of Health and Social Care, provides support to developing countries' health and hygiene services, which also supports tackling antimicrobial resistance. DFID support includes work to prevent infection and, in turn, reduce the need for antimicrobials. For example, through DFID’s support to GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance, the UK will help immunise 300 million children between 2016 and 2020. DFID also supports the prompt diagnosis and treatment of disease and the development of new drugs and diagnostic tools to treat resistant infection. DFID investment in the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria contributed towards treating 102,000 people for drug-resistant tuberculosis in 2017. The Department of Health and Social Care’s £265 million Fleming Fund also supports low and middle-income countries to improve surveillance and laboratory capacity for addressing AMR. Since 2015 DFID has also supported 40 million people to gain access to clean water and sanitation, and DFID also supports water, sanitation and hygiene in healthcare facilities, both of which are important for preventing infection.

Developing Countries: Food Aid

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent steps he has taken to support people in developing countries affected by acute food insecurity.

Dr Andrew Murrison: As the third largest bilateral humanitarian donor, the UK is a global leader in supporting people in acute need, including those at risk of food insecurity. In 2017, we were amongst the first to raise the alarm and to provide support for populations at risk of dying from starvation in Somalia, South Sudan, Yemen and North East Nigeria. We provided £170 million for provision of humanitarian aid in Somalia in 2017, supporting those at risk of famine and in 2017/18 our support in South Sudan reached over 420,000 people with food assistance. Since 2013, we have spent approximately £1.3 billion supporting the scale up of nutrition services in humanitarian contexts including Yemen, South Sudan, Somalia, Nigeria and the DRC. Our approach is to act early to save more lives, and to build the resilience of communities and states to crises and shocks. Our work on humanitarian early warning systems raises awareness of crises where food security is deteriorating and informs timely responses to mitigate the impact of acute food insecurity. Alongside this, we also prioritise longer-term responses to support food security, including through agricultural programmes.

Department for Education

Secondary Education: Assessments

Neil O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of the annual cost of the requirement that all 16 to 18-year-old students who have not yet achieved a grade four while at secondary school resit those exams.

Neil O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of the number of full-time equivalent teachers required to ensure that 16 to 18-year-old students who have not yet achieved a grade four at secondary school resit those exams.

Anne Milton: We know students who leave school with a good grasp of English and maths increase their chances of securing a job or going on to further education.Since August 2014, students who left key stage 4 without a GCSE grade 4/C or above (or equivalent) in English and/or maths were required to continue studying these subjects as part of their 16-19 study programme. From August 2019, students starting a new or continuing an existing study programme with a GCSE grade 2 (or equivalent) or below can study towards a pass in Functional Skills level 2 or they can still study towards a GCSE grade 4 to 9. Those with a grade 3 (or equivalent) must still study GCSE only. Providers have the freedom to determine when a student is ready to re-sit or take an examination.The department has not made estimates of the costs to providers or the number of full-time teachers required to deliver specific examinations. Rather, 16-19 education providers are funded for the overall study programmes that students take. These programmes include the provision of maths and English, where required. In 2015, we committed to maintaining the 16-19 funding base rate at current levels until 2020.In addition to regular study programme funding of which maths and English provision is a part, we have made a number of commitments to improve the quality of teaching and learning in further education (FE) providers. Since 2013-14 we have invested over £140 million in FE teachers and leaders, including for workforce development through the independent Education and Training Foundation. We are also investing over £50 million to help FE providers improve basic maths teaching.

Students: Disadvantaged

Karin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he plans to introduce a student premium modelled on the pupil premium for full-time students aged 16 to 19 as recommended by the Social Mobility Commission.

Anne Milton: The department already provides additional funding for 16 to 19 providers so that they can attract, retain and support disadvantaged students. Over £500 million has been allocated through the 16 to 19 funding formula for this disadvantage funding in the current academic year. We will keep 16 to 19 funding rates and arrangements, including support for disadvantaged students, under consideration in the lead-up to the next Spending Review.

Educational Institutions: South Yorkshire

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many official visits (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department made to educational facilities in (i) Barnsley and (ii) South Yorkshire in each year since their respective appointments.

Anne Milton: My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, visited Bentley Youth Hub in Doncaster in July 2018. In my role as Minister of State for Apprenticeships and Skills, I visited the National College for High Speed Rail in Doncaster in June 2018.

Adult Education: Finance

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has of the effect of people accessing the adult education budget on employment outcomes.

Anne Milton: Government funding for adult skills provision is prioritised where its impact is greatest, focussing on young adults, those with low skills and unemployed people who are actively seeking work. The principal purpose of the adult education budget is to help adults aged 19 and over get the skills and learning they need to equip them for work, an apprenticeship or further learning.There are many benefits to gaining a further education qualification, including an increase in earnings, an increase in the chance of being employed and a reduced chance of claiming benefits. These are highlighted in the report ‘Estimation of the labour market returns to qualifications gained in English further education’, particularly on page 12. This report can be found at:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/further-education-comparing-labour-market-economic-benefits-from-qualifications-gained.

Students: Loans

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information his Department holds on the socio-economic characteristics of people who have applied for Advanced Learner Loans in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Anne Milton: Data published by the Student Loans Company for the full 2017/18 academic year shows that 70% of recipients of Advanced Learner Loans were female. In total, 23% were aged 19 to 23, 28% were aged 24 to 30, 29% were aged 31 to 40, 15% were aged 41 to 50 and 5% were aged 50 or over. This data is available at the following link - https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/fe-data-library-further-education-and-skills.Data published by the Student Loans Company in March 2019 for August to January in the 2018/19 academic year shows that 93% of applicants declared themselves to be UK-domiciled.This data is available at the following link - https://www.slc.co.uk/media/10220/slcosp022019.pdf.

Special Educational Needs: Young People

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to ensure young people with special needs in non-local authority schools receive the education and care they need.

Nadhim Zahawi: The provisions of the Children and Families Act 2014, together with the associated statutory regulations and Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Code of Practice, apply to academies and free schools as well as to schools maintained by local authorities. All schools are required to use their best endeavours to identify and address the SEND of pupils and to apply the graduated approach to support that is outlined in chapter 6 of the SEND Code of Practice.Academies and free schools are inspected by Ofsted under the same framework as local authority maintained schools. The quality of education and support for pupils with SEND is taken into account by inspectors when making a judgement on the performance of a school.The department has a contract with the Whole School SEND Consortium to embed SEND within approaches to school improvement and to equip the school workforce to deliver high quality teaching for all pupils with SEND. The programme of work includes building a community of practice with the involvement of 10,000 schools by 2020 and 15,000 schools by 2022, across the 8 regional school commissioner regions.

Children: Day Care

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department has taken to help families access childcare.

Nadhim Zahawi: This government is committed to making childcare more affordable and more accessible. We plan to spend around £3.5 billion on our early education entitlements this year alone – more than any previous government. All 3 and 4-year olds and the most disadvantaged 2-year olds can access 15 hours a week of early education. From September 2017, this government doubled the childcare entitlement for eligible working parents of 3 and 4-year olds to 30 hours a week.We want 30 hours to continue to build on the flexible provision that we were already seeing across the country with the universal 15 hours. All the free entitlements can be “stretched” by taking fewer hours per week over up to 52 weeks of the year to cover term-time and the school holidays and free places can be delivered at weekends.Parents can find out information about all the government childcare offers on the Childcare Choices website and use the Childcare Calculator to help them understand what childcare support they are eligible for.

Pupils: Injuries

Sir Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that pupils with acquired brain injuries are fully supported in mainstream education.

Nadhim Zahawi: Teachers must be able to adapt teaching to the needs of all their pupils. Teachers must also have an understanding of the factors that can inhibit learning and how best to overcome them. The 2015 Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Code of Practice sets out high expectations of schools and colleges about how they identify and meet the needs of pupils with SEND. It covers both those who have Education, Health and Care plans with more complex needs and the much larger group of pupils whose needs can be met without a statutory plan, that is, those on SEND support.

Social Mobility

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions he has had with the Social Mobility Commission on their State of the Nation 2019 report.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Chair of the Social Mobility Commission met with ministers and officials across government in preparing the State of the Nation 2019 report. Ahead of its publication, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education and the Chair met to discuss the report.My department welcomes the reports' thorough analysis, which shines a light on where government, businesses and employers can continue raising the bar for everyone living in this country. We will be taking the recommendations seriously.We are supportive of the important work that the Social Mobility Commission carries out to promote social mobility across the United Kingdom, which is why my department asked it to launch a £2 million research and evidence fund to identify and spread best practice. The first phase of this is now underway.

Yoga: Curriculum

Faisal Rashid: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of making yoga available as part of the school curriculum; and if he will make a statement.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Department for Education recognises the benefits that activities such as yoga and meditation can have on promoting the mental health and wellbeing of pupils and in helping the building of character. The department has no plans to review the national curriculum. It will remain up to schools to decide what specific activities to offer to their pupils. Schools are free to organise and deliver a diverse and challenging curriculum that suits the needs of all of their pupils. Pupils can participate in yoga as part of the PE curriculum, which is designed to ensure that all pupils develop competence to excel in a broad range of physical activities, are physically active for sustained periods of time and lead healthy and active lives.

Children in Care

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance his Department provides to local authorities on accommodation standards for 16 and 17 year olds in care.

Nadhim Zahawi: Local authorities are responsible for commissioning sufficient accommodation to meet the needs of children in care and care leavers; and to ensure that this accommodation is ‘suitable’. Suitable accommodation is defined in the Children Act Volume 2 guidance, which states that settings used to accommodate children in care should: be suitable for the child in light of their needs, including their health needs; ensure the responsible authority has satisfied itself as to the character and suitability of the landlord or other provider; comply with health and safety requirements relating to rented accommodation; and ensure the responsible authority has, so far as reasonably practicable, taken into account the child’s: wishes and feelings; and education, training or employment needs. A copy of the guidance is available at the following link: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/441643/Children_Act_Guidance_2015.pdf. This definition of suitable accommodation also applies to settings used to accommodate care leavers aged 16 or 17.

Breakfast Clubs

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the National School Breakfast Programme.

Nadhim Zahawi: The department is investing up to £26 million in a breakfast club programme using funds from the soft drinks industry levy revenues. This money will introduce or improve breakfast clubs in over 1,700 schools. The focus of these clubs has been to target the most disadvantaged areas of the country, including the Department for Education’s opportunity areas to help make sure every child gets the best start in life. A contract was awarded to Family Action in March 2018 and will run until March 2020. Family Action, in partnership with Magic Breakfast, have both been named as the leading charities responsible for running the breakfast club programme. Family Action are distributing the appropriate funding to participating schools who meet the eligibility criteria. Through the programme, schools receive dedicated support from Family Action and Magic Breakfast, including tailored assistance in the establishment of each breakfast club. Schools also receive breakfast food for children or funding to deliver this food provision. Schools also receive a one-off £500 grant payment which they are free to use as they deem appropriate, for example, purchasing equipment to set up a breakfast club. We monitor management information from the programme on an ongoing basis and will also review the effectiveness of the programme fully once the programme concludes.

Sure Start Programme

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the findings of the Institute for Fiscal Studies report entitled The health effects of Sure Start, published on 3rd June 2019; and if he will make a statement.

Nadhim Zahawi: The government welcomes the recent report by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) on the health effects of Sure Start. It is crucial that in our pursuit of better outcomes for children and families, and in making spending decisions, we are guided by high quality evidence. I refer the hon. Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme to the statement given in response to an Urgent Question about the IFS report by my right hon. Friend, the Minister of State for Skills and Apprenticeships on 5 June 2019.

Breakfast Clubs

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate his Department has made of the effect of the National School Breakfast Programme on educational attainment.

Nadhim Zahawi: The department is investing up to £26 million in a breakfast club programme, using funds from Soft Drinks Industry Levy revenues. This money will kick-start or improve breakfast clubs in over 1,700 schools. The focus of these clubs has been to target the most disadvantaged areas of the country – including the Department for Education’s Opportunity Areas – to help make sure every child gets the best start in life. The programme will also deliver innovation projects with the aim of testing solutions to delivery and access barriers, and enhancing the health and education benefits. Innovation projects will seek to test out new approaches to enhancing the health, education or wider socioeconomic benefits and to overcoming delivery and access barriers. We monitor management information from the programme on an ongoing basis and will also review the effectiveness of the programme fully once the programme concludes.

Sure Start Programme

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment he has made of the effect of Sure Start centres on health outcomes for young people in deprived areas.

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he is taking steps to increase funding for the Sure Start programme; and if he will make a statement.

Nadhim Zahawi: We welcome the recent report by the Institute for Fiscal Studies on the health effects of Sure Start. Across the key health outcomes for children and young people, children living in households in the lowest socio-economic groups have worse outcomes than other children. There are clear benefits to early investment and support through pregnancy and the early years. Children’s centres can play an important role in supporting families, but it is right local councils decide how to organise and provide services for families in their areas to meet local needs – whether this is through children’s centre buildings or delivering services in different ways. Local authorities have a duty under the Childcare Act (2006) to ensure sufficient children’s centres to meet the needs of local families. Funding for children’s services (including children’s centres) is made available through the local government finance settlement. In addition, other government funding, including that for public health, adult skills training and troubled families may also be used locally to support services delivered wholly, or in part, through children’s centres. Children services funding for 2020-2021 and beyond will be determined in the Spending Review.

Universities

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department plans to take to assess the social and economic value of different university courses to (a) students and (b) taxpayers.

Chris Skidmore: We are clear that outcomes are not just about economic returns. Our higher education system transforms lives and is a great contributor to both our industrial success and the cultural life of the nation. High quality provision in a range of subjects is critical for our public services and culturally enriching for our society.The Teaching Excellence Framework puts clear information in the hands of students about the teaching quality and outcomes they might expect to receive.In addition, the government regularly publishes information on the benefits of higher education ranging from; research publications on student aspirations and the wider non-market benefits, to statistical publications on graduate employment and earning trends including ‘Graduate Labour Market Statistics’ and ‘Longitudinal Education Outcomes’ publications, which can be found on the gov.uk website:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/graduate-labour-market-statistics-2018. https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-higher-education-graduate-employment-and-earnings. The government is due to publish an updated study in the coming months on the earnings premium graduates can expect from holding a degree. The latest research, however, can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/229498/bis-13-899-the-impact-of-university-degrees-on-the-lifecycle-of-earnings-further-analysis.pdf.The research suggests that over a working life, graduate returns average £170,000 for males and £250,000 for females, which takes into account the impact of loan repayments, national insurance and income tax payments.

School Meals

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which school meal catering companies do not serve school meals to children whose meal payments are in arrears.

Nadhim Zahawi: The information requested is not held centrally.Schools are responsible for the day-to-day running of their school meals service, including their policy around collecting payment for school lunches. Schools have a general duty of care to their pupils and must consider the welfare of their pupils when taking decisions on how they operate on a day to day basis.

Post-18 Education and Funding Review

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Post-18 Education and Funding Review, whether he plans to increase the teaching grant that follows disadvantaged students.

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Post-18 Education and Funding Review, what criteria his Department will use to determine whether a student is disadvantaged; and what level of support will be made available to those students.

Chris Skidmore: Access and successful participation remain a priority for this government and is enshrined in the Higher Education and Research Act (2017). Everyone with the ability to succeed in higher education should have the opportunity, regardless of their background or where they grew up.The government will consider the panel’s recommendations carefully and will conclude the review at the Spending Review. The government has not yet taken decisions with regards to the recommendations put forward.

Post-18 Education and Funding Review

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Annex to the post-18 education and funding review entitled, Estimating the lifetime contributions of example borrowers, what estimate he has made of (a) the increased contributions of middle earners and (b) the decreased contributions of higher earners under the proposed system.

Chris Skidmore: This is an independent report to the government. We will consider the report carefully and will conclude the post-18 education and funding review alongside the Spending Review.

Ministry of Justice

Electronic Tagging

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what average number of people in England and Wales were subject to (a) electronic monitoring as a condition of a supervision order and (b) a Home Detention Curfew in each of the last five years; and how many of those people subject to (i) such electronic monitoring and (ii) a Home Detention Curfew breached those arrangements.

Robert Buckland: Electronic monitoring is a vital tool in protecting the public and robustly monitoring offenders in the community and defendants on bail. It supports probation staff and the police in managing offenders and defendants safely in the community, delivering the orders of the court and help them tackle the problems which lead to offending. The table below shows the average number of people1 subject to electronic monitoring as a condition of a supervision order and Home Detention Curfew.  Supervision order2Home Detention Curfew32014/156,750 2015/166,3522016/175,8232,2802017/185,1332,4901 Caseload for unique subjects with equipment on 2 Derived from published data for those with a Court sentence (supervised) 3 Figures only available for April 2016 onwards for HDC data. Figures after March 2018 will be published in the HMPPS Digest in July 2019. The table below shows the total number of people subject to electronic monitoring for supervision orders and Home Detention Curfew, and how many of these cases committed at least one breach.4, 5Supervision OrdersHome Detention Curfew TotalNon ComplianceComplianceTotalNon ComplianceComplianceJune 2016-March 2017626,41811,69414,7247,8981,5436,355April 2017-March 201828,12212,00516,11710,3222,0448,2784 derived from number of completions of orders with equipment on 5 please note: a person may have more than one order. 6 completions data only available from June 2016 onwards If a subject on tag does not comply with an Electronic Monitoring condition or requirement, for example by being absent during curfew hours or tampering with a tag, an instantaneous alert is generated that is sent to Electronic Monitoring Services (EMS). The appropriate authorities decide, based on the evidence, whether the non-compliance event constitutes a breach and if so what action should be taken. The nature of breaches vary, and not all non-compliance events are classed as formal breaches requiring further action. For example, if the subject was at hospital or in custody at the time, and therefore unable to return to their curfew location in time for their curfew. While the majority of non-compliance events will generate an alert than can lead to a breach there are a range of other circumstances that can lead to breach action being taken.

Electronic Tagging

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people were the subject of GPS monitoring as a condition of supervision in each of the eight pilot areas in England and Wales which concluded in 2019; and how many offenders failed to comply with such monitoring.

Robert Buckland: A total of 586 tags were issued as part of the GPS pilot which commenced in October 2016 and completed in March 2018. A total of 366 tags were issued to individuals being supervised (i.e. cases where an offender was supervised under statutory supervision by Probation Services, and not including individuals who were on court imposed bail).An independent qualitative process evaluation of the GPS location monitoring pilot was published in February 2019: ‘Process evaluation of the Global Positioning System (GPS) Electronic Monitoring Pilot - Qualitative findings’: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/process-evaluation-of-the-global-positioning-system-gps-electronic-monitoring-pilotA quantitative process evaluation of the GPS Pilot containing analysis of Management Information gathered over the course of the pilot is currently undergoing quality assurance and being finalised. This will include information on the number of individuals supervised in each of the police force areas and on compliance.

Electronic Tagging

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department plans to extend the use of GPS tagging to assist with the supervision of certain categories of offenders in the next three years.

Robert Buckland: The Secretary of State for Justice announced in February this year the roll out of GPS location monitoring. A wide range of offenders are eligible for the new tags, including those subject to court-imposed bail, community orders and suspended sentence orders, as well as those on Home Detention Curfew and indeterminate sentenced prisoners released by the Parole Board. We are monitoring the demand for and application of GPS location monitoring tags by decision makers and are considering whether there are additional categories of offenders who would be suitable. No decisions have been made to extend their use further at the current time.

Electronic Tagging

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people in England and Wales are being monitored by GPS tagging as a condition of supervision; and what the main index offences of those people being so monitored were.

Robert Buckland: Data on the number of people being monitored by GPS tagging will be published as part of the HMPPS Annual Digest for 2018/19 on 25 July 2019.

Prisoners' Release

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners serving an indeterminate sentence for public protection have never been released; and how many of such prisoners have been recalled to prison since 2014.

Robert Buckland: I refer the hon. Member for Dwyfor Meirionnydd to the response to PQs 252600 and 252602, answered on 17-May-2019.

Prisoners: Death

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the number of people who have died in custody while under an imprisonment for public protection sentence broken down by the number of years they were over tariff.

Robert Buckland: The information requested is set out below. Time over tariffNumber of deceased offenderswithin tariff45less than 1 year141 - 2 years132 - 3 years133 - 4 years114 - 5 years85 - 6 years186 - 7 years177 - 8 years48 - 9 years39 - 10 years410 - 11 years011 - 12 years1tariff not recorded6 “Over tariff” means the offender died in custody after his or her tariff expiry date, having never been released. It therefore excludes offenders who died after having been released on licence and recalled to custody. HMPPS focuses on giving offenders serving IPP sentences the support, opportunities and motivation they need to progress more quickly so that, when the Parole Board reviews a case, offenders have the best possible prospect for securing release. A key part of the joint IPP action plan, co-owned by the Parole Board and HMPPS, is psychology-led reviews of cases that are not progressing as hoped. Part of the purpose of these reviews is to improve offenders’ engagement with their sentence plans, and to provide support to in relation to any issues that may be hindering their progression.

Wormwood Scrubs Prison: Crimes of Violence

Mr Iain Duncan Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many assaults on staff at HMP Wormwood Scrubs there have been in each of the past 12 months.

Robert Buckland: The Ministry of Justice has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Wormwood Scrubs Prison: Crimes of Violence

Mr Iain Duncan Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many assaults on prisoners at HMP Wormwood Scrubs there have been in each of the past 12 months.

Robert Buckland: The Ministry of Justice has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Wormwood Scrubs Prison: Crimes of Violence

Mr Iain Duncan Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many serious assaults there have been on staff at HMP Wormwood Scrubs in each of the last 12 months.

Robert Buckland: The Ministry of Justice has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Wormwood Scrubs Prison: Crimes of Violence

Mr Iain Duncan Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many serious assaults on prisoners at HMP Wormwood Scrubs there have been in each of the past 12 months.

Robert Buckland: The Ministry of Justice has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Wormwood Scrubs Prison: Self-harm

Mr Iain Duncan Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many incidents of self-harm there have been at HMP Wormwood Scrubs in each of the last 12 months.

Robert Buckland: The Ministry of Justice has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Wormwood Scrubs Prison: Drugs

Mr Iain Duncan Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of random tests returned positive results for psychoactive substances at HMP Wormwood Scrubs in each of the last 12 months.

Robert Buckland: The Ministry of Justice has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Wormwood Scrubs Prison: Drugs

Mr Iain Duncan Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, on how many occasions illegal drugs were found at HMP Wormwood Scrubs in each of the last 12 months.

Robert Buckland: The Ministry of Justice has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Ranby Prison: Crimes of Violence

Mr Iain Duncan Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many assaults on staff there have been at HMP Ranby in each of the last 12 months.

Robert Buckland: The Ministry of Justice has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Ranby Prison: Crimes of Violence

Mr Iain Duncan Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many assaults on prisoners there have been at HMP Ranby in each of the last 12 months.

Robert Buckland: The Ministry of Justice has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Ranby Prison: Crimes of Violence

Mr Iain Duncan Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many serious assaults on staff there have been at HMP Ranby in each of the last 12 months.

Robert Buckland: The Ministry of Justice has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Ranby Prison: Crimes of Violence

Mr Iain Duncan Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many serious assaults on prisoners there have been at HMP Ranby in each of the last 12 months.

Robert Buckland: The Ministry of Justice has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Ranby Prison: Self-harm

Mr Iain Duncan Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many incidents of self-harm there have been at HMP Ranby in each of the last 12 months.

Robert Buckland: The Ministry of Justice has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Ranby Prison: Drugs

Mr Iain Duncan Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of random tests returned positive results for psychoactive substances at HMP Ranby in each of the last 12 months.

Robert Buckland: The Ministry of Justice has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Ranby Prison: Drugs

Mr Iain Duncan Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many incidents there were where drugs were found at HMP Ranby in each of the last 12 months.

Robert Buckland: The Ministry of Justice has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme: Terrorism

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what criteria his Department uses to determine eligibility for compensation awards to victims of terrorism from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme.

Edward Argar: Applications from victims of terrorism in Great Britain are determined by reference to the eligibility rules contained within the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme 2012. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/criminal-injuries-compensation-scheme-2012

Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme: Terrorism

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average time taken is by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme to decide on applications for compensation by victims of terrorism in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Edward Argar: This information can only be provided for financial years 2017/18 & 2018/19. Information from previous financial years has been archived in line with the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority’s (CICA) data retention policy. Terrorism is not defined for the purposes of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme. Victims are compensated for the injuries they have sustained rather than the nature of the incident (with the exception of sexual assault or abuse). To support consistent decision-making, CICA does record the nature of the incident where it identifies the potential for multiple applications in relation to the same circumstances. The data below relates to applicants who have been identified as victims of terrorism for this purpose.  PeriodMean time taken to decide applications for compensation by victims of terrorism2017-18289 days2018-19167 days

Prisoners: Social Security Benefits

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate his Department has made of the number of prisoners who were in receipt of welfare payments prior to imprisonment in the latest period for which figures are available.

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate his Department has made of the number of prisoners who were unemployed prior to imprisonment in the latest period for which figures are available.

Robert Buckland: On reception into custody prisoners are asked if they receive benefits. The total number of occasions prisoners confirmed they were in receipt of welfare payments prior to imprisonment in 2018 was 41,620. Prisoners are also asked if they were working before they came to custody on reception. The total number of occasions prisoners answered that they were unemployed to this question in 2018 was 63,683. We know that getting a steady job on release can be a huge part of turning offenders away from a life of crime, helping to prevent future victims and cutting the annual £15 billion cost of reoffending. That is why we launched the Education and Employment Strategy last year, which works with businesses to offer a wide range of work experience opportunities to equip offenders with the self-discipline, skills and qualifications they need.

Prisoners: Homelessness

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate his Department has made of the number of prisoners who were homeless prior to imprisonment in the latest period for which figures are available.

Robert Buckland: We recognise that it is vital that everyone leaving prison has somewhere stable and secure to live. Having somewhere stable to live acts as a platform for offenders to be able to access the services and support needed to stop their cycle of offending for good.There was a total of 28,555 prisoners who declared they were of No Fixed Abode prior to their imprisonment in the last quarter of 2018. This information is provided by offenders during their reception into custody, and forms part of the Basic Custody Screening Tool.The Government published its Rough Sleeping Strategy in August 2018, launching a £100 million initiative to reduce and ultimately eliminate rough sleeping across England. As part of this strategy, MoJ and Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), will invest approximately £6.4 million over two years in a pilot scheme to help ex-offenders secure suitable accommodation from three prisons, namely HMPs Pentonville, Bristol and Leeds. The pilots will focus on male prisoners who have served shorter sentences, who have been identified as having a risk of homelessness.

Community Rehabilitation Companies: National Probation Service for England and Wales

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate has been made by (a) his Department and (b) Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service of the number of new employees the service will need to recruit to support the transfer of case management work in England from Community Rehabilitation Companies to the National Probation Service at the end of 2019.

Robert Buckland: We are reviewing workforce requirements as part of the delivery of the programme to implement new future probation arrangements. Statutory transfer arrangements will apply to those staff currently working in CRCs who are delivering offender management services which will in future be delivered by the National Probation Service. We are also working closely with Trade Unions, current providers and staff to minimise disruption and support planning for the transition to the future model.

Community Rehabilitation Companies: National Probation Service for England and Wales

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the risk to public safety of the transition of case management work in England from Community Rehabilitation Companies to the National Probation Service at the end of 2019.

Robert Buckland: Public protection is our top priority as we manage the transition of case management work. We will carefully consider how to manage transition to the new model in a way which minimises disruption to staff, offenders and those that interact with the probation service in the wider criminal justice system. We will take a staged approach to transition, ensuring that staff and offenders are supported throughout the change and that the public is protected at all times.

Probation: Inspections

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many appeals have been made by National Probation Service regions against the scores awarded by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation before publication of inspection reports; and how many times have those appeals been upheld and the score revised.

Robert Buckland: There is no appeal procedure. Inspection reports are sent to Her Majesty’s Prison & Probation Service in advance of publication with a request for any comments on factual accuracy. HMPPS is not permitted to challenge the inspection ratings themselves or the judgements made by the Inspectorate.

Seetec: Probation

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department made of the business proposal put forward by Seetec to manage probation services in South West England and Wales following the collapse of the previous provider, Working Links; and whether that proposal was evaluated against a public sector bid.

Robert Buckland: Kent, Surrey & Sussex CRC, operated by Seetec, was selected as the preferred provider of probation services in the South West and Wales following a competitive process involving the evaluation of bids against a range of factors including in relation to the quality of service delivery and value for money.

Reoffenders

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the re-offending rates were of prisoners supervised by the National Probation Service in each year since 2015 for which data is available.

Robert Buckland: This information is included as part of quarterly re-offending statistics, and can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/payment-by-results-statistics

National Probation Service for England and Wales: Labour Turnover

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the rate of staff turnover has been at the National Probation Service in each year since 2015.

Robert Buckland: Information on staff joining and leaving the National Probation Service (NPS) is provided in the Workforce Statistics Bulletin published quarterly by Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service. The latest bulletin was published on 16 May. Prior to June 2017, this information was provided in the National Offender Management Service Workforce Statistics Bulletin. The quarterly bulletins, which include annual data, can be accessed at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-offender-management-service-workforce-statistics

Community Rehabilitation Companies: ICT

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much Community Rehabilitation Companies have spent on investing in new ICT case management systems; and what will happen to those systems new ICT systems following his Department's decision to return to the original case management systems NDelius and OASYS.

Robert Buckland: The Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRCs) providing probation services have invested in the development of case management systems as part of their wider transformation activities and alignment with their target operating models. The cost of implementing and maintaining these systems were met by the CRCs and their parent organisations as part of their expenditure on overall service delivery. A number of the CRCs have subsequently elected to continue to operate with the MoJ provided systems that were in use at the start of the contracts. Those new systems that have been introduced by providers are currently being assessed by the Department to establish what benefits they may offer under the future model for probation services.

Courts: Working Hours

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the number of days (a) crown courts and (b) magistrates courts in England (i) sat in 2018 and (ii) are expected to sit 2019.

Paul Maynard: The number of days sat in the Crown Court in England in the calendar year 2018 was 97,431 days. The number of sessions sat in magistrates’ courts in England in the calendar year 2018 was 208,711. We don’t count days sat in the magistrates’ court and instead count sessions. A session is usually half a day in length. We estimate that we will sit around 79,000 days in the Crown Court and around 215,000 sessions in the magistrates’ courts in England in the financial year 2019/20. These estimates are based on how much resource is required to deal with the number of cases expected to be received in 2019/20 and reflect demand in the Crown Court. We will continue to review demand and performance in the Crown Court and magistrates’ court and will ensure they have the resources they require. Waiting times for trials in 2018 were the lowest since 2014, despite the challenge of increasingly complex cases

Homicide: Sentencing

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average length of sentence was for (a) white, (b) BAME and (c) traveller defendants convicted of murder in (i) 2017, (ii) 2018 and (iii) 2019 up to April 30.

Robert Buckland: Every offender convicted of murder must be given a life sentence as this sentence is fixed by law. The Ministry of Justice does not hold full information on the tariff period (the minimum period that must be spent in custody) set by the court when imposing a mandatory life sentence. Information may be held in individual court records but to be able to identify these cases we would have to access individual court records which would be of disproportionate cost. Data on the average custodial sentence length (in months) for offenders has been published by the Ministry of Justice up to December 2018 and can be filtered by ethnicity. However, in the case of murder this simply shows a life sentence. This information can be found at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/802314/outcomes-by-offence-tool-2018.xlsx Filter by ‘Offence’ as required. For ethnicity breakdowns, filter by ‘Ethnicity’ for the required ethnicity. Ethnicity information is provided using a 5+1 classification (based on the 2011 census classification) and is therefore not available for “traveller” defendants.

Prisons: Trade Unions

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 15 May 2019 to Question 251409 on Prisons: Contracts, what comparative assessment he has made of provision quality in prisons where there (a) is and (b) is not trade union recognition.

Robert Buckland: Recognition rights with recognised Trade Unions are currently in place in all public and private sector prison establishments in England and Wales.

Prison Officers

Carolyn Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average length of time is that a prison officer remains working in their role.

Robert Buckland: The average length of time a Band 3-5 prison officer working in their role, for those in post as at 31st March 2019 is 10.1 years. Average working time in role is calculated by taking total length of service of all prison officers divided by the number of prison officers (Headcount), as at 31st March 2019.

Community Rehabilitation Companies: National Probation Service for England and Wales

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department has conducted staff surveys of (a) National Probation Service and (b) Community Rehabilitation Company staff on the proposed changes of joining up case management.

Robert Buckland: Probation staff have been widely engaged throughout the development of the future model for probation. Five staff events were held across England and Wales as part of the public consultation Strengthening Probation, Building Confidence, with at least 250 staff attending from both the National Probation Service and Community Rehabilitation Companies. We listened closely to feedback from these events as well as written submissions in developing our plans for the future of probation, and as our plans move forward we are continuing to engage with staff from all probation providers.

Antisocial Behaviour: Leigh

Jo Platt: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prosecutions there were for anti-social behaviour in Leigh constituency in each of the last five years.

Robert Buckland: The Ministry of Justice publishes data on prosecutions for England and Wales by Police Force Area but does not hold data for parliamentary constituencies. Anti-social behaviour can span a wide range of offences, for which there is not a definitive list. The number of defendants prosecuted for breaching an Anti-Social Behaviour Order (ASBO) or a Criminal Behaviour Order (which replaced the ASBO in 2014) by police force area can be found in the Court outcomes by Police Force Area data tool found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/804509/court-outcomes-by-PFA-2018.xlsx When using the data tool, ensure ’02: Magistrates’ Court’ is selected in the Court Type filter for prosecutions. Leigh constituency falls within the ‘Greater Manchester’ Police Force Area, which can be selected in the ‘Police Force Area’ filter. Select ’66.7 Breach of a criminal behaviour order’ and ‘8.11 Breach of an Anti-Social Behaviour Order’ in the Offence filter.  To view the offences in the table, remove Police Force Area from the Rows area and replace it with Offence.

Alternatives to Prison

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to increase the use of alternatives to prison sentences.

Robert Buckland: There is a case to abolish or restrict the use of sentences of six months or less, with some exceptions, and we are working towards having firm proposals by the summer.The sentencing framework already gives courts the flexibility to select community order requirements which are a robust alternative to custody, and are tailored to address the specific issues that contribute to reoffending. Community sentences, in certain circumstances, are more effective in reducing reoffending, and therefore keeping the public safe. We must ensure the public and judiciary have confidence in effective community orders, including those which address offenders’ behaviour, answer their mental health and substance misuse needs and provide reparation for the benefit of the wider community.Confidence in community sentences starts with confidence in the probation services that deliver them and our probation reforms are designed to achieve this. Bringing all offender management responsibilities under the National Probation Service and having a more clearly defined role for the private and voluntary sectors in delivering interventions are intended to strengthen sentencer and public confidence in probation. Our changes will also ensure a wider range of rehabilitative programmes, so that courts can better tailor community sentences to the individual needs of offenders.

Prison Sentences

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of ending the use of prison sentences of less than eight weeks duration.

Robert Buckland: There is a case to abolish or further restrict the use of sentences of six months or less, with some exceptions, and we are working towards having firm proposals by the summer.There is persuasive evidence showing community sentences, in certain circumstances, are more effective than short custodial sentences in reducing reoffending. The MoJ study ‘The impact of short custodial sentences, community orders and suspended sentence orders on re-offending’ published in 2015 found that over a 1-year follow up period, a higher proportion of people re-offended having been sentenced to custody of under 12 months without supervision on release than other similar people given community orders.Unless we tackle the underlying causes of offending, we cannot protect the public from being victims of crime. Effective community orders can address offenders’ behaviour, answer their mental health and alcohol or drug misuse needs, and provide reparation for the benefit of the wider community.

Prison Sentences

Carolyn Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many individuals are serving an imprisonment for public protection sentence in England and Wales.

Robert Buckland: The information you ask for is available in the public domain in so far as it relates to those serving the IPP sentence in prison; however, I have provided it for ease of reference. As at 31 March 2019, 2,403 prisoners were serving IPP sentences and who have never been released, and a further 1,063 prisoners were in custody having been recalled from the community. Data on prisoners serving IPP sentences are published quarterly as part of the Offender Management Statistics bulletin: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/offender-management-statistics-quarterly-october-to-december-2018 It is for the independent Parole Board to review the detention of those prisoners serving an IPP sentence who have completed their tariff period. The Board will direct the release of these prisoners only if it is satisfied that the levels of risk posed to the general public are reduced enough that the National Probation Service and its partner agencies can safely manage them in the community under supervision.

Legal Aid Scheme

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether the Government has plans to review the means testing aspect of legal aid funding.

Paul Maynard: The Government announced that it will be conducting a review into Legal Aid Means Testing in its legal Support Action Plan, published on 7 February 2019. The review of the legal aid eligibility regime will study the thresholds for legal aid entitlement and assess the effectiveness with which the means testing arrangements appropriately protect access to justice, particularly with respect to those who are vulnerable.The comprehensive review of the legal aid eligibility regime is expected to conclude by Summer 2020.

Prison Officers Association

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Prison Officers Association's role in gross misconduct hearings.

Robert Buckland: No assessment has been made.The Prison Officers Association have an independent and entirely legitimate role in representing members in grades for whom they hold recognition rights in disciplinary hearings. It is not for Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service to make an assessment of how effective they are in discharging this responsibility.

Prisoners' Release: Homelessness

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people aged 18 to 21 were released from custody to homelessness in each year since 2010.

Robert Buckland: It is vital that everyone leaving prison has somewhere safe and secure to live. Having somewhere stable to live acts as a platform for ex-offenders to be able to access the services and support needed to turn their back on crime for good. The full information requested could only be obtained at a disproportionate cost. Some of the data is available, however, and this is detailed below.   Published statistics for 2017/18 showing the accommodation status for all offenders, which include a breakdown by age, can be found here:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/community-performance-quarterly-mi-update-to-march-2018 As part of the Government initiative to reduce and ultimately eliminate rough sleeping across England, we are investing up to £6.4 million over two years in a pilot scheme to help ex-offenders into accommodation from three prisons: Bristol, Pentonville and Leeds. The pilots will focus on male prisoners who have served shorter sentences, who have been identified as having a risk of homelessness. Contracts have now been awarded in the three areas and, following a mobilisation period, we expect services to commence in summer of this year. This is a concrete step in our commitment to tackling rough sleeping.

Prison Officers: Length of Service

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the Band 3-5 prison officers’ cumulative length of service was in each prison in (a) 2010 and (b) 2018.

Robert Buckland: Band 3-5 prison officers’ cumulative length of service in each prison for 2010 and 2018 are provided in the accompanying excel table.



Table
(Excel SpreadSheet, 21.78 KB)

Prisons: Contracts

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 15 May 2019 to Question 251411 on Prisons: Contracts, at which privately operated prisons information on staffing levels is submitted through management information requirements.

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 15 May 2019 to Question 251424 on Prisons: Contracts, whether exemptions applied according to Section 43 can include information on staffing levels.

Robert Buckland: All privately-managed prisons provide general management information, which will include references to staffing levels. It does not include figures on number of staff employed, or staff at work on any particular day. The Ministry of Justice responds to Freedom of Information requests in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and the guidance issued from time to time by the Information Commissioner’s Office. Any information the Ministry holds in relation to privately-managed prisons would be assessed for commercial sensitivity. We do not, however, collect statistics on staff employed or deployed by privately-managed prisons.

Prisoners: Mental Health Services

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many IPP sentenced prisoners have been refused access to a mental health treatment courses in each year since 2010.

Robert Buckland: The information requested is not held. NHS England has statutory and financial responsibility for providing health care in English prisons, including delivering mental health treatment. No prisoners should be refused access to a mental health treatment based on their sentence type. Individual cases are assessed on the basis of the offender’s readiness and suitability to engage in treatment.

Offences Against Children: Compensation

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 18 February 2019 to Question 220844 on Offences Against Children: Compensation, (a) what the conviction was for and (b) how much was awarded in compensation in each of the 26 cases where a criminal compensation order was issued.

Robert Buckland: The amount of compensation awarded for child sexual abuse offences where a criminal compensation order was issued in 2017 can be viewed in the table attached.Compensation rarely appears as a primary disposal, it is almost exclusively a secondary disposal and will usually be accompanied by another sentencing outcome such as immediate custody. Data presented in this PQ response is from administrative court records and needs to be considered in the context it is collected. In some court cases especially for the most serious offences, courts may prioritise recording of the primary disposals (such as custody, community sentences etc.).



Table
(Excel SpreadSheet, 12.09 KB)

Offences Against Children: Compensation

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate his Department has made of the number of private prosecutions brought for compensation for the victims of child sexual abuse in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Paul Maynard: It is not possible to identify private prosecutions in the courts proceedings database; this would require a manual search of court records which would be of disproportionate cost.

Legal Aid Scheme

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many universal credit claimants have sought legal aid since the roll-out that benefit began.

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of universal credit claimants who have sought legal aid have received such aid.

Paul Maynard: This information could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Probation

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate his Department has made of the cost inclusive of staff hours of (a) planning, (b) implementing and (c) reversing parts of the Transforming Rehabilitation programme over that programme's lifetime.

Robert Buckland: Due to the way in which cost information is recorded it is not possible to breakdown the costs associated with planning and implementing the Transforming Rehabilitation Programme in this way. The Ministry of Justice has produced an initial indicative assessment of the cost of bringing the case supervision component of services delivered by Community Rehabilitation Companies under the supervision of the National Probation Service. These costs include one off exit costs for current Community Rehabilitation Company contracts which are subject to change as the commercial framework and negotiations are not yet finalised with providers. Releasing these figures may compromise that negotiation so we cannot do so at this time. We believe that the continuation of the mixed market through our revised model offers the most sustainable approach for probation, and is the best option to build on the positive changes made under Transforming Rehabilitation.

Prisoners' Discharge Grants

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the Discharge Grant for prisoners in respect of (a) inflation and (b) the five week waiting period for universal credit.

Robert Buckland: We are committed to ensuring that prisoners have sufficient financial support upon release from custody.We have recently explored the current use of the Discharge Grant. This will help inform future Discharge policy direction, and help to ensure that Discharge policy contributes to ensuring the immediate basic needs of prisoners are met when they return to the community. We are currently analysing findings.The purpose of the Discharge Grant is not to provide for all the prisoner’s needs after release; it is intended solely to assist them in the first few days after release and before they might reasonably be able to get a job or an appointment at a jobcentre and/or begin to access state benefitsWe also are working with the Department for Work and Pensions to improve access to Universal Credit and ensure that they have the relevant identification documents. Offenders are able to access a DWP Work Coach prior to release, who can make an appointment as early as the day of release to complete their claim, and can receive an advance of a full month’s benefit, including the housing element where appropriate, within hours.

Treasury

Children: Day Care

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many families have (a) a tax-free childcare account and (b) have made a payment through their tax-free childcare account.

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many parents have opened and subsequently closed a tax-free childcare account since 21 April 2017.

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what proportion of tax-free childcare accounts are used by households with one or more self-employed parents as of 31 May 2019.

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many children with disabilities were in receipt of tax-free childcare as of 31 May 2019.

Elizabeth Truss: Details of the number of families with a Tax-Free Childcare account are published quarterly by HMRC. The latest publication is available at the following address:  https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/tax-free-childcare-statistics-march-2019  In March 2019 there were 313,000 families with an open Tax-Free Childcare account. In March 2019 there were 125,000 families with a used Tax-Free Childcare account. Table 3 shows the numbers of open and used accounts for families with a self-employed parent. The proportion of families with a used account that have a self-employed parent in March 2019, was 19,000/125,000 or 15%. In March 2019, there were 900 disabled children in receipt of Tax-Free Childcare. The information published in these statistics comprises all months since the policy was launched in April 2017 to March 2019. A further update, including the months April to June 2019, will be published in August. Since Tax-Free Childcare was launched in April 2017 and up to May 2019, 8,500 accounts have been closed.

Joint Authorities Cash Strategy Group

Ged Killen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to his Department's news story of 3 May 2019, Cash here to stay as government commits to protecting access, if he will publish the remit of the Joint Authorities Cash Strategy Group.

Ged Killen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to his Department's news story of 3 May 2019, Cash here to stay as government commits to protecting access, if he will publish the schedule of meetings of the Joint Authorities Cash Strategy Group; and whether minutes will be taken at those meetings.

Ged Killen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if his Department will publish in full any recommendations produced by the Joint Authorities Cash Strategy Group.

John Glen: As part of our response to the Call for Evidence on access to cash, the Government announced that the Treasury would set up and chair the Joint Authorities Cash Strategy (JACS) Group. The Group brings together the Bank of England, Payments Systems Regulator and Financial Conduct Authority. This was in recognition of the need to ensure joined-up oversight of the UK’s cash infrastructure, in light of the changing behaviours and preferences of consumers and businesses. The Group will coordinate strategy across members, to ensure that the roles and responsibilities of each regulator remain clear and relevant, and that the effects of regulatory activities are evaluated across the full end-to-end cash system. The Group does not affect the statutory responsibilities of individual regulators. The Group is up and running and further details of its activities will be announced in due course.

Advance Pricing Agreements

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many Advanced Thin Capitalisation Agreements his Department entered into in 2018-2019.

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many applications for Advance Thin Capitalisation Agreements were made in 2017-2018.

Jesse Norman: HMRC publishes data regarding Advanced Thin Capitalisation Agreements (ATCAs) on an annual basis. The latest publication which covers data up to 2017-18 is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/transfer-pricing-and-diverted-profits-tax-statistics-to-2017-to-2018. Information for 2018-19 will be published later this year. This will include the number of Advanced Thin Capitalisation Agreements HMRC has entered into during the year. HMRC does not currently centrally record and monitor the number of applications made in the year.

Horizon 2020

Tom Brake: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the value was of grants made to (a) Government and (b) UK businesses and organisations from Horizon 2020 in (i) 2015, (ii) 2016, (iii) 2017 and (iv) 2018.

Tom Brake: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, What is the value was of loans made by the European Investment Bank to (a) Government and (b) UK businesses and organisations in (i) 2015, (ii) 2016, (iii) 2017 and (iv) 2018.

Tom Brake: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much funding the Government allocated from the public purse to (a) Horizon 2020 and (b) European Investment Bank in (i) 2015, (ii) 2016, (iii) 2017 and (iv) 2018.

Robert Jenrick: Financial contributions from the European Commission to the UK, as part of Horizon 2020 and broken down by organisation type and calendar year, can be found online at:https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/dashboard/sense/app/93297a69-09fd-4ef5-889f-b83c4e21d33e/sheet/a879124b-bfc3-493f-93a9-34f0e7fba124/state/analysis. The EIB publishes details of all projects on their website, which can be filtered by country. The EIB do not provide data on the split between the public and private sector. Details can be accessed via the link below :http://www.eib.org/projects/loan/list/?region=1&country=GB. The Government contributes to the EU budget as a whole and not to individual EU programmes, such as Horizon 2020. Therefore, it is not possible to separate UK funding which has been allocated to Horizon 2020. The European Commission does publish details of total annual expenditure on each EU programme which can be found online at: http://ec.europa.eu/budget/figures/interactive/index_en.cfm.Further information on the UK’s gross and net contributions to the EU Budget can be found in the European Union Finances 2018 statement, available at:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/european-union-finances-2018.The UK does not make an annual contribution to the EIB. Throughout the UK’s membership of the EIB, the UK has made payments totaling c.£1.8bn to the capital of the EIB.

Pensions: Fees and Charges

Ms Angela Eagle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy for pension providers to produce standardised communications for charges on pension products for consumers.

Ms Angela Eagle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to introduce a charging cap on the draw down of pension products.

John Glen: In June 2018, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) published its Retirement Outcomes Review final report. This two-year study assessed how the retirement income market has evolved following the introduction of pension freedoms. The review found that drawdown charges are complex, not consistent between providers, and can vary substantially across providers. In response, the FCA is introducing a range of new measures, including a requirement for consumers entering drawdown to receive a first-year charge figure in pounds and pence terms. The FCA has also recently consulted on introducing a requirement for firms to provide annual information on costs and charges expressed in pounds and pence terms. As the market is continuing to evolve, the FCA did not propose introducing a charge cap at this stage. The FCA expects the market to deliver competitive charges and is highly likely to move towards a cap if it does not. The government welcomes the FCA’s work in this area, and stands ready to work with industry and the FCA to ensure consumer demands are being met, and any potential barriers to a thriving, competitive market can be addressed.

M4: Wales

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with the Welsh Government on borrowing limits for infrastructure projects following the announcement of the cancellation of the M4 relief road.

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the borrowing capacity announced for the M4 relief road will still be available to the Welsh Government following the cancellation of that project.

Elizabeth Truss: HM Treasury ministers and officials have regular discussions with counterparts in the Welsh Government on a number of issues of importance for Wales and the rest of the UK, including infrastructure. At Budget 2018, the Chancellor committed to review the Welsh Government’s capital borrowing powers at the forthcoming Spending Review, to consider whether the borrowing cap should be increased by up to £300 million to support the delivery of a new M4 relief road. We will work with the Welsh Government to consider this review in light of their announcement that they will not be taking forward the M4 relief road project.

Electric Vehicles: Taxation

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will reduce the benefit-in-kind tax rate on electric vehicles before 2020.

Robert Jenrick: In 2020-21, the government will introduce a 2% company car tax rate for cars with zero emissions. Together with new, reduced rates for plug-in hybrids, these reforms will help the government to meet its environmental objectives. To provide certainty for company car drivers, employers and employees, the government aims to announce company car tax rates in advance of implementation. Therefore, the government has no plans to introduce these rates ahead of 6 April 2020.

Treasury: Debt Collection

Emma Reynolds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department engages enforcement agents.

Jesse Norman: Officers of HMRC act as Enforcement Agents in relation to HMRC debts. HMRC does not make use of private sector enforcement agents.

Taxation: Electronic Government

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the efficacy of the Making Tax Digital changes that were implemented in April 2019.

Jesse Norman: There are now over 340,000 businesses in the MTD for VAT service, and over 200,000 VAT returns have been successfully submitted. Businesses need to use the MTD service for their first VAT return period starting on or after 1 April, so for the majority, who file quarterly, their first VAT return through MTD will not be due until 7 August at the earliest. HMRC has published a statement of impacts for the Making Tax Digital for Business programme, which is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/making-tax-digital-changing-the-scope-and-pace-technical-note/making-tax-digital-for-business. HMRC is monitoring the number of sign-ups closely, as well as MTD’s effectiveness.

Pensioners: Income

Ms Angela Eagle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the ability of consumers to make an informed choice when accessing retirement income products.

John Glen: The Government recognises that people need the right support and guidance to make decisions that best suit their evolving personal circumstances. That is why the Government introduced Pension Wise, a service provided by the Money and Pensions Service (MAPS) that offers everyone aged 50 and over who has a defined contribution pension, free and impartial guidance on their range of available choices at retirement. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) found in its Retirement Outcomes Review in 2018 that consumer engagement in the retirement market is low and there are low levels of shopping around. As part of remedies to improve this, the FCA has set new requirements for pension providers to send more frequent ‘wake-up packs’ to their consumers, which include a summary of their open market options. The Money Advice Service (provided by MAPS) also offers a guaranteed income product comparator tool and is developing a drawdown comparator tool, to make it easier for consumers to compare the different options available to them.

Pensions

Ms Angela Eagle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the regulatory and governance standards in the pensions industry in ensuring that drawdown products are appropriate for consumers.

John Glen: The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is the regulator of pensions decumulation products, including drawdown products. The FCA conducted the Retirement Outcomes Review into the retirement income market, publishing the final report in 2018. The final report particularly focused on investment choices and charges in drawdown. As a result of its findings, it is introducing or consulting on a number of remedies to protect consumers from poor outcomes and promote competition in the market. These include the introduction of investment pathways and a requirement for consumers entering drawdown to receive clearer information on charges. The FCA is also currently consulting on extending the remit of Independent Governance Committees (IGCs) to investment pathways. As the remedies will be a significant intervention in the drawdown market, the FCA plans to conduct a detailed review of the impact of investment pathways one year after implementation to consider how well the remedy is working.

Poverty

Angela Crawley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what measures he uses to identify poverty.

Elizabeth Truss: The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) publish an annual Households Below Average Income (HBAI) report which provides statistics on measures of poverty.

Stronger Towns Fund

Ben Lake: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the Barnett Formula will be applied to calculate the share of the Stronger Towns Fund.

Elizabeth Truss: The Government will seek to ensure that towns in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland can benefit from this funding and we will announce further details in due course. The Barnett Formula will be applied in the normal way to departmental DEL totals at the 2019 Spending Review.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Leasehold: Reform

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when his Department will publish its response to the technical consultation on implementing reforms to the leasehold system which closed in November 2018.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: The Government is committed to promoting fairness and transparency for leaseholders and freeholders and ensuring that consumers are protected from abuse and poor service We will publish the Government's response to the technical consultation on Implementing reforms to the leasehold system in England shortly.

Sleeping Rough

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many (a) new bed spaces and (b) specialist support staff have been allocated (i) to Barnsley, (ii) to South Yorkshire and (c) nationally under the Rough Sleeping Initiative since its implementation.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: The Government is committed to reducing homelessness and rough sleeping. No one should ever have to sleep rough. That is why last summer we published the cross-government Rough Sleeping Strategy. This sets out an ambitious £100 million package to help people who sleep rough now, but also puts in place the structures that will end rough sleeping once and for all. The Government has now committed over £1.2 billion to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping over the spending review period.The Rough Sleeping Initiative (RSI) does not ‘allocate’ bed spaces and specialist support staff to local authorities, but funds based on the bids that the local authorities themselves submitted (in some cases with the support of our expert rough sleeping advisers). We recognise that rough sleeping impacts different areas in different ways, and so we work to ensure local areas can respond flexibly to the unique challenges they face.Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council, in conjunction with Doncaster and Rotherham, was successful in bidding for RSI funding in 2019/20. They have been allocated £328,038 this year for the staff and services detailed below. Intervention Funding 3 rough sleeping prevention workers£114,1171.5 mental health practitioners£78,000Enhanced outreach services£83,531Rough Sleeping Coordinator£52,390Total RSI funding for 2019/20£ 328,038Overall this funding is expected to provide at least 8 additional staff across these areas.The remaining authority in South Yorkshire, Sheffield, was allocated £363,309 in 2018/19, and £412,926 in 2019/20 through the RSI. This funding is expected to provide a total of 37 additional bed spaces and 9 staff over the two years. As a whole South Yorkshire is expected to deliver 37 bed spaces and at least 17 staff through the RSI in its first two years.In its first year, RSI funding provided over 1,750 new bed spaces and 500 staff across the country. This year we have expanded the initiative with an investment of £46 million providing funding for an estimated 2,600 bed spaces and 750 staff. £12 million of this is for areas new to the programme, bringing the total authorities funded to 246.More information can be found on the gov.uk website: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/james-brokenshire-confirms-funding-to-help-people-off-the-streets

There But Not There: Finance

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what funding from the public purse his Department has allocated to the charity, There But Not There.

Jake Berry: I refer the Hon Member to the answer given to Question UIN 257675 on 5 June 2019.

Parking: Fees and Charges

Vicky Ford: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what measures are available to landowners and leaseholders with rights over land to enforce reasonable parking charges when a vehicle is left on their land contrary to the terms displayed.

Rishi Sunak: The Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 grants keeper liability for vehicles, allowing landowners and parking operators to pursue the registered keeper of a vehicle for breaches of contract related to parking. Private parking companies must be a member of a trade association if they wish to access DVLA data in order to issue parking charges to vehicle owners. The two parking trade associations, the British Parking Association (BPA) and the International Parking Community (IPC), have their own codes of practice and appeal procedures to which they expect their members to adhere. If a private parking company does not follow these codes responsibly, they risk being banned from accessing DVLA data and will be unable to issue parking charges.

Recreation Spaces

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans he has to enact statutory protection for green spaces; and what steps he is taking to promote the health benefits of parks and urban green spaces.

Rishi Sunak: The Government does not have plans to enact statutory protection for green spaces. We are committed to reducing excessive central reporting burdens on local government. It is for local authorities and local communities to decide how best to manage their local parks and green spaces and how to utilise available funding to best effect.The Government recognises the health benefits of parks and urban green spaces. We have invested over £15 million in 2018-19 to support a robust package of new Government initiatives to support the sustainability of green spaces – including £3.75 million on the expansion of the Pocket Parks Plus programme and £9.7 million to ensure local authorities can continue to maintain and develop good quality, accessible parks and green spaces.The 25 Year Environment Plan (25YEP) sets out that spending time in the natural environment can improve our mental health and feelings of well-being. Government has committed to actions that seek to help people improve their health and well-being by using green spaces. These commitments include:Considering how NHS mental health providers in England could work with environmental voluntary sector organisations to offer mental health therapiesEstablish a cross-government programme that helps health professionals and local authorities to connect more people with nature to support their health and wellbeing.Defra, NHS England, Public Health England and Natural England are working together to launch these actions and establish a programme which will deliver the 25YEP mental health commitments.

Leasehold: Reform

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department will publish an impact assessment on the proposed reforms to the leasehold system.

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to publish an impact assessment of the proposal to introduce a £10 cap on all future ground rents in the leasehold market.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: In line with usual practice, the Government’s intention would be to publish an impact assessment on our leasehold reforms as part of taking primary legislation through Parliament.

Leasehold

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of introducing a mandatory code of practice for landlords to improve standards in the leasehold sector.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: On 1 April 2018, the Government published its response document Protecting Consumers in the Letting and Managing Agent Market,  which outlined its consideration for a mandatory code of practice in the property agent sector. The Government is committed to introducing a mandatory of code practice for managing agents who administer leasehold contracts on behalf of landlords. Where a landlord undertakes the administration of a leasehold contract themselves, they will be obliged to meet the statutory requirements of the forthcoming code.

Ground Rent

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what (a) meetings, (b) correspondence and (c) other engagement his Department has had with (i) consumer groups, (ii) freeholders and (iii) leaseholders to discuss the proposal for a £10 cap on future ground rents.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: The Government ran a technical consultation ‘Implementing reforms to the leasehold system’ during 15 October 2018 to 26 November 2018, and will be publishing the response shortly. The consultation received over 1,200 replies from a broad range of stakeholders.During the consultation and analysis period, my Department has engaged extensively with freeholders, leaseholders, consumer groups, and other professionals on a wide range of leasehold reform issues including limiting ground rents to £10 per annum.In particular, my Department held round table meetings with industry (building developers and investors), and leaseholders and consumer groups in November 2018.The Secretary of State also met with developers and investors on 15 November 2018, and leaseholders on 29 January 2019. A full list of ministerial meetings is published at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dclg-ministerial-data and is updated regularly.

Private Rented Housing: Electrical Safety

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what progress the Government has made on introducing electrical safety checks in the private rented sector in England.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: We are working to bring into force regulations on mandatory electrical safety checks in the private rented sector as soon as possible, subject to parliamentary approval and timetable. As outlined in the Government response to the consultation on Electrical Safety in the Private Rented Sector, published on 29 January 2019, we are now working with industry to produce guidance for landlords setting out the skills and qualifications relevant to determining competence of those carrying out electrical inspections. We have also been working with local authorities in England to develop the range of sanctions for non-compliance with the upcoming regulations.

Leasehold: Unfair Practices

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when his Department will publish its response to the consultation on unfair leasehold practices which concluded on 26 November 2018.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: The Government is committed to promoting fairness and transparency for leaseholders and freeholders and ensuring that consumers are protected from abuse and poor service. We will publish the Government's response to the technical consultation on Implementing reforms to the leasehold system in England shortly.

Public Lavatories

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the findings of the Royal Society for Public Health report entitled The decline of the great British toilet, published in May 2019; and if he will make a statement.

Rishi Sunak: The Department has not undertaken an assessment of the report. Whilst the provision of public toilets is a matter for local authorities, we encourage councils to keep these important amenities open. At Budget 2018 the Chancellor announced a 100 per cent business rates relief for public lavatories in England, and the Government will introduce legislation as soon as Parliamentary time allows. In addition the Department recently launched a consultation proposing changes to Building Regulations to create more Changing Places toilets for severely disabled people.

Environmental Health and Trading Standards

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans he has to increase the number of (a) environmental health officers and (b) trading standards officers after the UK leaves the EU.

Rishi Sunak: The local staffing for the delivery of regulatory services is a matter for those local authorities that have the statutory responsibility. Government has provided resources and support for councils for Brexit preparations. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has made £58 million available to help councils prepare for and manage EU exit. The FSA has already made £4 million available in total so far (£2 million in 18/19, and £2 million in 19/20) for ensuring that food safety obligations are met in the event of a no deal Exit. DEFRA made 200 free training places available to help with the signing of Environmental Health Certificates.

Coal

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what consideration he has made of the implications of the level of stockpiles of coal for planning decisions on new and proposed coal mining operations, including those currently under consideration or review.

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the implications of the Committee on Climate Change's report on net zero carbon emissions for (a) current and future planning decisions on coal mines for which approval has recently been granted, recommended or sought, and (b) planning guidelines for new coal mining applications and possible revision of the National Planning Policy Framework.

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will introduce urgently a presumption against all applications for deep or opencast coal mines in England.

Kit Malthouse: The Government is committed to clean growth and is taking action to reduce our reliance on coal. We have set out our aim to end electricity generation from unabated coal by 2025 and we are also taking action to reduce coal use in industry and heating.Our world leading plans to end electricity generation from unabated coal by 2025 are expected to further this trend, and I am delighted that 30 countries, 22 states and cities, and 28 businesses have signed up to our Powering Past Coal Alliance.The National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that planning permission should not be granted for the extraction of coal unless the proposal is environmentally acceptable or the national, local or community benefits outweigh its likely impacts. The Framework is a material consideration in the determination of all applications for coal extraction in England. Given my quasi-judicial role in the planning system, it would not be appropriate to comment on the merits of current or future planning applications for coal extraction.

Empty Property: Shops

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent estimate he has made of the number of empty shops on high streets in (a) Coventry and (b) the UK.

Jake Berry: The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government receives information relating to the vacancy rates in the UK from the Local Data Company. As of June 2019 the vacancy rate for Coventry was 15.2 per cent and in Great Britain was 11.7 per cent according to the Local Data Company. This information is not currently reported centrally and is not publicly available. For this reason, in Autumn Budget 2018, as part of Our Plan for the High Street, we committed to piloting a publicly available register of empty commercial properties in selected local authorities, to help improve transparency and make it easier to bring vacant properties back into use. We are currently working on the detail of the pilot and will make a further announcement in due course.

Buildings: Insulation

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what information his Department hold on the number of fire safety tests on non-aluminium composite material cladding in the UK that have resulted in that cladding being removed from residential blocks since June 2017.

Kit Malthouse: The number of fire safety tests on non-aluminium composite material cladding in the UK that have resulted in that cladding being removed from residential blocks since June 2017 is not held centrally.

Building Regulations and Fire Safety Independent Review

Sarah Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to his Department's December 2018 implementation plan entitled Building a safer future, if he will publish (a) the organisations involved in the implementation plan and (b) the remit of the (i) Competence Steering Group, (ii) Competence Steering Group sub-working groups, (iii) Industry Safety Steering Group, and (iv) all other industry working groups set up in response to the Hackitt Review.

Kit Malthouse: Following the Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety, our implementation plan set out a far-reaching work programme to deliver a reformed building safety system. In addition to the findings of the Review, we have considered a wide range of evidence, views and concerns expressed since the Grenfell Tower fire including representations to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry; over 200 responses to the Review’s Final Report, gathered in a listening exercise over the summer; and a report from the House of Commons Housing, Communities and Local Government Select Committee. The consultation published on 6 June, Building a safer future: proposals for reform of the building safety regulatory system, invites views from the public and all interested stakeholders on how we propose to take forward meaningful legislative reform.The Competence Steering Group and its sub-working groups were established by the construction and fire safety sectors in response to the Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety. Their remit is to develop proposals for a robust and coherent overarching system for overseeing competence requirements, and to raise competence within relevant disciplines involved in the design, construction, inspection, maintenance and management of buildings in scope of the Review. The Group expects to publish its full report covering recommendations from all working groups in June 2019 for an industry-led consultation. More information on the Competence Steering Group and its working groups can be found in the group’s second quarterly report published on the Construction Industry Council’s website: http://cic.org.uk/admin/resources/second-quarterly-report-october-2019-electronic-version.pdf.The industry safety steering group (ISSG) has been established to encourage culture change across industry and to monitor industry’s progress with implementing the recommendations in the Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety. The terms of reference for the group are published on GOV.UK https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/801470/TOR.pdf.

Building Regulations and Fire Safety Independent Review

Sarah Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to annex A of his Department's Building a safer future implementation plan published in December 2018, whether the final proposals of the competence steering group were delivered in April 2019; and if he will publish those proposals.

Kit Malthouse: The Competence Steering Group has submitted to Government its initial proposals for an overarching system to oversee competence requirements for buildings in scope, as part of its work to improve competence, for inclusion in our consultation ‘Building a Safer Future: a consultation’ (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/residents-encouraged-to-have-their-say-to-improve-building-safety), published on 6 June 2019. The report can be found at Annex E. The Group expects to publish its full report covering all recommendations from its working groups in June for an industry-led consultation.

Building Regulations and Fire Safety Independent Review

Sarah Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will provide an updated list of activity on his Department's Building a safer future implementation plan since 29 November 2018.

Kit Malthouse: I refer the Hon. Member to the letter I sent on 11 April to Clive Betts MP in his capacity as chair of the Housing, Communities and Local Government Select Committee, a copy of which has been placed in the House Library.

Building Regulations and Fire Safety Independent Review

Sarah Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to his Department's Building Safety Programme: Monthly Data Release published on 30 April 2019, if he will publish local authority data in the format of Table 3 in that document, for (a) all social sector buildings identified with ACM cladding systems unlikely to meet building regulations, (b) social sector buildings identified with ACM cladding systems unlikely to meet building regulations yet to be remediated, (c) all private sector buildings identified with ACM cladding systems unlikely to meet building regulations, and (d) all private sector buildings identified with ACM cladding systems unlikely to meet building regulations yet to be remediated.

Kit Malthouse: Tables A and B set out local authority areas with high-rise social sector residential buildings with ACM cladding systems unlikely to meet building regulations identified, and those yet to be remediated, respectively. These areas are grouped into bands. The bands used are: one to five buildings, six to ten buildings, 11 to 20 buildings, and over 20 buildings. As at 30 April, there are 37 local authorities in England where such social sector buildings were identified, of which 31 local authorities have at least one such building yet to be remediated within their boundaries. We exclude local authorities with fewer than ten high-rise social sector buildings (regardless of whether they have cladding) from the tables below, as their inclusion could lead to the identification of one or more buildings with ACM cladding systems unlikely to meet Building Regulations in these areas – hence we only list 32 local authorities in Table A and 26 in Table B. Table A: Number of social sector buildings identified with ACM cladding systems unlikely to meet building regulations, by local authority England, 30 April 2019(a) Local authorities with 1 to 5 social sector buildings with ACM cladding systems unlikely to meet Building Regulations identifiedBarking and DagenhamHaveringReadingBarnetHillingdonSandwellCalderdaleHounslowSeftonCambridgeIslingtonSheffieldCamdenLambethStockton-on-TeesCroydonLewishamSunderlandDoncasterNewhamWandsworthHackneyPlymouth Hammersmith and FulhamPortsmouth (b) Local authorities with 6 to 10 social sector buildings with ACM cladding systems unlikely to meet Building Regulations identifiedBrentHaringeySouthwarkWestminster  (c) Local authorities with 11 to 20 social sector buildings with ACM cladding systems unlikely to meet Building Regulations identifiedManchesterTower Hamlets (d) Local authorities with over 20 social sector buildings with ACM cladding systems unlikely to meet Building Regulations identifiedSalford  Table B: Number of social sector buildings identified with ACM cladding systems unlikely to meet building regulations yet to be remediated, by local authority England, 30 April 2019(a) Local authorities with 1 to 5 social sector buildings with ACM cladding systems unlikely to meet Building Regulations yet to be remediatedBarking and DagenhamHillingdonPortsmouthBarnetIslingtonReadingCambridgeLambethSeftonCamdenLewishamSheffieldCroydonManchesterSouthwarkHackneyNewhamStockton-on-TeesHammersmith and FulhamPlymouthWandsworth(b) Local authorities with 6 to 10 social sector buildings with ACM cladding systems unlikely to meet Building Regulations yet to be remediatedBrentHaringeyTower HamletsWestminster  (c) Local authorities with 11 to 20 social sector buildings with ACM cladding systems unlikely to meet Building Regulations yet to be remediatedSalford   Tables C and D set out the information for private sector residential buildings. Please note that this does not include hotels or student accommodation. As at 30 April, there are 40 local authorities in England where such private sector residential buildings were identified, of which 38 local authorities have at least one such building yet to be remediated within their boundaries. We exclude local authorities with fewer than ten high-rise private sector residential buildings – hence only 35 local authorities are listed in Table C and 34 in Table D. Table C: Number of private sector residential buildings identified with ACM cladding systems unlikely to meet building regulations, by local authority England, 30 April 2019(a) Local authorities with 1 to 5 private residential buildings with ACM cladding systems unlikely to meet Building Regulations identifiedBarnetHammersmith and FulhamNottinghamBournemouth, Christchurch and PooleHarrowReadingBradfordHounslowSalfordBrentIslingtonSheffieldBristolKensington and ChelseaSloughBromleyLambethSouthwarkCambridgeLiverpoolSuttonCroydonMedwayWaltham ForestEalingMerton HackneyNorwich (b) Local authorities with 6 to 10 private residential buildings with ACM cladding systems unlikely to meet Building Regulations identifiedLeedsManchesterNewham(c) Local authorities with 11 to 20 private residential buildings with ACM cladding systems unlikely to meet Building Regulations identifiedWandsworthWestminster (d) Local authorities with over 20 private residential buildings with ACM cladding systems unlikely to meet Building Regulations identifiedGreenwichTower Hamlets Table D: Number of private sector residential buildings identified with ACM cladding systems unlikely to meet building regulations yet to be remediated, by local authority England, 30 April 2019(a) Local authorities with 1 to 5 private residential buildings with ACM cladding systems unlikely to meet Building Regulations yet to be remediatedBarnetHammersmith and FulhamNottinghamBournemouth, Christchurch and PooleHarrowReadingBradfordHounslowSalfordBrentIslingtonSheffieldBristolKensington and ChelseaSloughBromleyLambethSouthwarkCambridgeLiverpoolSuttonCroydonMedway EalingMerton HackneyNorwich (b) Local authorities with 6 to 10 private residential buildings with ACM cladding systems unlikely to meet Building Regulations yet to be remediatedLeedsManchesterNewham(c) Local authorities with 11 to 20 private residential buildings with ACM cladding systems unlikely to meet Building Regulations yet to be remediatedWandsworthWestminster (d) Local authorities with over 20 private residential buildings with ACM cladding systems unlikely to meet Building Regulations yet to be remediatedGreenwichTower Hamlets

High Rise Flats: Fire Prevention

Sarah Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Written Statement of 11 December 2018, HCWS1169 on Contingent Liability for the Joint Inspection Team, when the Joint Inspection Taskforce was originally due to be operational; and whether that taskforce is now fully operational.

Kit Malthouse: The Local Government Association (LGA) who host the Joint Inspection Team has recruited all key members of the Team. They are engaging with local authorities who have sought their support in dealing with the remediation of private sector high rise residential building with unsafe Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) cladding.

High Rise Flats: Fire Prevention

Sarah Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Written Statement of 11 December 2018, HCWS1169 on Contingent Liability for the Joint Inspection Team, whether that contingent liability will cover work to remove dangerous non-ACM cladding.

Kit Malthouse: The contingent liability set out in the Written Statement of 11 December 2018, HCWS1169, for the Joint Inspection Team does not cover work to remove non-ACM cladding.

Public Lavatories

Emma Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department holds records on the number of public toilets in (a) England and (b) Wolverhampton.

Rishi Sunak: The Department does not hold data on the number of public toilets in England. Whilst the provision of public toilets is a matter for local authorities, we encourage councils to keep these important amenities open. At Budget 2018 the Chancellor announced a 100 per cent business rates relief for public lavatories in England, and the Government will introduce legislation as soon as Parliamentary time allows. In addition the Department recently launched a consultation proposing changes to Building Regulations to create more Changing Places toilets for severely disabled people.

Buildings: Insulation

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 22 May 2019 to Question 254199 on Buildings: Insulation, whether the Fire Protection Association has sourced the required materials to enable the BS 8414 test of a High Pressure Laminate cladding system to be carried out.

Kit Malthouse: Preparations for the test are progressing as intended.

Buildings: Insulation

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to commission further large scale tests on standard grade Euroclass D high pressure laminate cladding.

Kit Malthouse: I refer the Hon Member to my answer of 22 March 2019 to Question UIN 235776.

Buildings: Insulation

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions his Department has had with (a) distributors and (b) manufacturers of high pressure laminate cladding on the use of fire retardant and standard grade cladding.

Kit Malthouse: The Department is in regular contact with industry representatives on a wide range of subjects including the use of construction products. The Department has not had any direct discussions with distributors and manufacturers of high pressure laminate panels on the use of fire retardant and standard grade cladding.

Buildings: Insulation

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 22 May 2019 to Question 254199 on Buildings: Insulation, whom his Department plans to invite to witness the BS 8414 test of a High Pressure Laminate cladding system which is due to be carried out by the Fire Protection Association.

Kit Malthouse: Members of the Independent Expert Advisory Panel have been invited to witness the test. The Department is currently finalising the list of other organisations who will be invited to witness the test.

Ministry of Defence

VJ Day: Anniversaries

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans her Department has to commemorate far east prisoners of war on the anniversary of VJ day.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The Government and the nation continue to recognise and be thankful for all those who served in the Far East during the Second World War. We recognise the sacrifices made and the horrors to which our personnel were subjected.The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is committed to ensuring that ex prisoners of war from the Far East Campaign remain in the public consciousness as much as those who served in other campaigns. The MOD, in conjunction with The Royal British Legion, will look to mark the 75th anniversary of 'Victory over Japan Day' on 15 August 2020 in an appropriate way.

ASD-STAN

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress she has made in establishing representations with the ASD-STAN organisation; and if she will make a statement.

Stuart Andrew: The Ministry of Defence continues to have well-established representation at ASD-STAN committees, and officials are actively engaged in developing European aerospace standards alongside our industry and European partners.

ASD-STAN

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many officials her Department sends to ASD-STAN organisation committee meetings; and if she will make a statement.

Stuart Andrew: The resource allocated to ASD-STAN committees is dependent on subject matter and typically ranges between two and four individuals as appropriate.

Nuclear Weapons: Transport

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reason the fire tender which is part of Truck Cargo Heavy Duty nuclear weapons convoys has been instructed to accompany the convoy in a stand-off position; and what assessment his Department has made of the ability of that fire tender to reach the convoy promptly through traffic in the event of an emergency.

Mark Lancaster: It is Ministry of Defence policy that we do not comment on the operational details of convoys transporting Defence Nuclear Material, for the purpose of safeguarding national security.

RAF Northolt

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with representatives of Heathrow on the Airspace and Future Operations Consultation and its potential effect on flight paths into and out of RAF Northolt.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: Ministry of Defence officials are engaged with Heathrow Airport about the potential implications to RAF Northolt of airspace changes which may result from the Department for Transport and Civil Aviation Authority Airspace Modernisation Strategy.

Radar

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when her Department plans to conclude the radar technology baseline review; and if she will make a statement.

Stuart Andrew: The Ministry of Defence has concluded phase one of the radar review following internal and external engagement. This has helped us develop our understanding of the factors we will need to consider for the future developments of radar capability. We are considering how we take this review forward, which will be informed by the forthcoming Defence Science Expert Committee RF sensing report.

Radar: Wind Power

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether her Department plans to consult the offshore wind industry for the radar technology baseline review.

Stuart Andrew: The Ministry of Defence has concluded phase one of the radar review following internal and external engagement. This has helped us develop our understanding of the factors we will need to consider in the future development of Radar capability post 2030. We are considering how we take this review forward, which will be informed by the forthcoming Defence Science Expert Committee RF sensing report. We will of course consult with industry in any next steps and this would include the offshore wind industry through the Aviation Management Board, where appropriate to do so.

Department for Work and Pensions

Universal Credit

Ruth George: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people have had their deductions under universal credit reduced from the maximum rate of 40 per cent of an individual's standard allowance in the last (a) month and (b) 12 months.

Alok Sharma: The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost. The Government recognises the importance of safeguarding the welfare of claimants who have incurred debt. Universal Credit already has procedures and regulations in place to protect claimants from excessive deductions. The maximum rate of deductions cannot normally exceed 40 per cent of the Universal Credit standard allowance, and from October 2019 this will be reduced to 30 per cent.

Winter Fuel Payments

Douglas Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, on how many occasions the winter fuel payment has been incorrectly paid; and what steps he has taken to recover those payments in each of the last three years.

Guy Opperman: The DWP makes around 12 million Winter Fuel payments each year.The DWP is working hard to prevent overpayments from occurring in the first place. However, these do sometimes occur due to a claimant failing to inform DWP of a change of household composition, or that they have moved abroad. Winter Fuel staff annually undertake an extensive Data Matching exercise to identify if any overpayments have occurred, and reduce the possibility of incorrect payments.The table below shows the volume of Winter Fuel payments that were overpaid in the last 3 financial years rounded to the nearest 100. This represents less than 0.05% of the total Winter Fuel payments made. YearVolume Of Winter Fuel Payments Overpaid2016-173,6002017-185,0002018-195,200*The data in this response has been sourced from internal management information. It should therefore not be compared to any other similar data subsequently released by the Department.The DWP has an obligation to ensure that public money is administered responsibly. Therefore, where permitted under Social Security legislation, the DWP seeks to recover any overpaid benefit. Where possible, the DWP will recover through on-going deductions from a claimant’s benefit.The DWP ensures that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect claimants who have deductions from their benefit to repay overpayments. There are maximum rates of deduction that are set out in legislation, and if a claimant is struggling they can contact the DWP’s Debt Management Team to discuss lowering their repayment rate.

Universal Credit

Angela Crawley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of universal credit claimants who have received an advance payment have had to delay their repayment for three months.

Alok Sharma: The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Universal Credit

Angela Crawley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she has taken to ensure that universal credit claimants  (a) are fully aware of how the repayment of advance payments work and (b) understand that the deferment of repayments is for a maximum of three months.

Alok Sharma: Applications for a Universal Credit advance payment can be made in person, by telephone or online depending on the claimant’s circumstances. Depending on the type of advance payment application, we will consider whether the claimant satisfies the eligibility conditions for receiving the advance. If the claimant is eligible we will agree the amount of the advance and the period over which the advance will be recovered from their future Universal Credit payments. If the claimant has made the application in person or by telephone, the outcome of the application is explained to the claimant face to face or over the phone and then their online journal is updated. If they have made the application online the outcome will be displayed on screen. The Department has taken a number of steps to ensure that advances meet the needs of claimants and that the recovery arrangements are personalised and reasonable. Affordability is managed by ensuring the recovery rate will not be more than the equivalent of 40% of the claimant’s standard allowance. The claimant is given the choice over the repayment period and it is explained to them exactly how much will be deducted each month depending on the option they choose. If the claimant is making the advance application online, these options are clearly displayed on screen for them to choose from. Help is available for those struggling to meet the recovery rate. In exceptional circumstances, recovery can be deferred for up to three months from the start of the recovery period. If the claimant tells us that due to unforeseen circumstances they are experiencing hardship and are having difficulty repaying the advance over the agreed recovery time, we would explain that repayment can be deferred by a maximum of three months. From October 2019 the maximum rate of deductions from a claimant’s standard allowance will be reduced from 40% to 30%. From October 2021 we are increasing the recovery period for advances from 12 to 16 months, further supporting those in financial need. Information about advances is available on the Gov.uk site at:https://www.gov.uk/guidance/universal-credit-advances

Universal Credit: Overpayments

Ruth George: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, (a) how many and (b) what percentage of universal credit claimants had funds deducted for a universal credit overpayment in the most recent month for which data is available.

Alok Sharma: Internal Management information shows that in April 2019, 80,000 payments of Universal Credit (UC) had a deduction applied to repay a UC overpayment (this figure does not include UC Advances and has been rounded to the nearest 10,000). It is not possible to show this figure as a percentage as the latest UC caseload data is only available as of 14th February 19. However, for context as of 14th February 19, 1.4m households received payments of UC.The Department ensures that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect claimants who have deductions from their benefit to repay overpayments. There are maximum rates of deduction that are set out in legislation, and if a claimant is struggling they can contact the Department’s Debt Management Team to discuss lowering their repayment rate.

Universal Credit

Ruth George: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 18 February 2019 to Question 218205 on Universal Credit, which regulations referred to in that Answer protect claimants from excessive deductions.

Alok Sharma: The Government recognises the importance of safeguarding the welfare of claimants who have incurred debt. Under Universal Credit there is a structured approach to deductions from benefit, which simplifies the current complex arrangements. Claimants can view their Universal credit statement online and easily understand both how their award is calculated and what debts are being repaid, supporting them to manage their financial obligations. The aim of the deductions policy in Universal Credit is to protect vulnerable claimants by providing a last resort repayment method for arrears of essential services. The policy also enables social obligations to be enforced when other repayment methods have failed, or are not cost effective, and ensures that benefit debt is recovered in a cost effective manner. Regulations protect claimants from excessive deductions, which could lead to financial difficulty. Universal Credit is made up of a standard allowance plus any additional elements that apply, for example a housing element or child element. The overall maximum amount that can be deducted for debt repayments from a claimant’s Universal Credit each month is an amount equal to 40 per cent of their Universal Credit standard allowance. Where requested deductions exceed the 40 per cent maximum, or there is insufficient Universal Credit in payment for all deductions to be made, a priority order is applied, which determines the order in which items should be deducted. ‘Last resort’ deductions, such as rent or fuel costs, are at the top of the priority order, ensuring that claimant welfare is prioritised, followed by social obligation deductions, such as fines and child maintenance, and finally benefit debt, such as Social Fund loans and benefit overpayments. There are two exceptions to the overall maximum deduction rate. The first is deductions for current consumption of gas, electricity and water, which do not count towards the overall maximum amount. The second is where a Conditionality Sanction or Fraud Penalty is being applied or an Advance is being recovered, ‘last resort deductions’ (that is arrears of rent, service charges, gas or electricity) continue to be taken, even if it means that more than 40 per cent is deducted. This is to protect vulnerable claimants from being made homeless or having their fuel disconnected. The Universal Credit, Personal Independence Payment, Jobseeker’s Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance (Claims and Payments) Regulations 2013(S.I, 2013/380) and specifically Regulation 60 and Schedule 6, paragraph 4 explains how claimants are protected from excessive deductions. These regulations are available at http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2013/380/contents/made.

Personal Independence Payment: Terminal Illnesses

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer on 30 April 2019 to Question 245707, Personal Independence Payment: Terminal Illnesses, what (a) qualifications and (b) training Assessment Providers have to determine whether a special rules case should be rejected for not satisfying the terminally ill definition.

Justin Tomlinson: Healthcare Professionals undertake Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessments under the Special Rules for Terminal Illness (SRTI) provisions in accordance with the department’s PIP Assessment Guide. Healthcare Professionals dealing with claims under SRTI are (a) fully qualified in their health discipline and (b) have a broad training in disability analysis. As well as their qualified profession, the Department recognises the importance of ensuring individuals also have sufficient experience, skills and training to undertake assessments and so any health professional undertaking assessments must also have at least two years' experience following registration. Both Assessment Providers conform to a rigorous set of standards regarding staff recruitment and training which are being closely monitored by the department.

Social Security Benefits: Terminal Illnesses

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she has made an assessment of the effectiveness of Scottish Government guidance for registered medical professionals on making clinical judgments about terminal illness; and if she will make a statement.

Justin Tomlinson: It is a matter for the Scottish Government how they assess entitlement for devolved benefits and to decide on appropriate guidance to support that.

Social Security Benefits: Terminal Illnesses

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether Scottish Government guidance for registered medical professionals on making clinical judgments about terminal illness was a contributory factor in revised UK guidance notes for the DS1500 form.

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many (a) consultants, (b) GPs and (c) specialist nurses were consulted during the process to develop the revised guidance notes for the DS1500 form.

Justin Tomlinson: A variety of stakeholders were involved in the development of the revised guidance notes for the DS1500 form. This included specialist clinicians as well as disability charities, representing a broad clinical perspective. This work was a result of our continual improvement activity and engagement with stakeholders.

Personal Independence Payment: Terminal Illnesses

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people have been called for reassessment for personal independence payments after their three year award under special rules for terminal illness came to an end; and if she will make a statement.

Justin Tomlinson: Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claimants under Special Rules for Terminal Illness do not undergo an Award Review at the end of their three-year award. Claimants can make an advanced new claim towards the end of their existing award and, without a face-to-face assessment, can have their claim fast-tracked.

Department for Work and Pensions: Ministerial Policy Advisers

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 1 April 2019 to Question 237786 on Department for Work and Pensions: Ministerial Policy Advisers, for what reason her Department has no plans to publish the number of alleged breaches of the Special Advisers’ Code of Conduct by her Department's Special Advisers in the last 12 months.

Will Quince: The Department does not routinely publish this information.

Pensioners: Universal Credit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reason pensioner couples who no longer receive pension credit because one of them is below state pension age and are no longer entitled to housing benefit will not qualify for the two-week housing benefit run-on after applying for universal credit.

Will Quince: The two week transition to Universal Credit housing payment can be paid to mixed age couples who move from Housing Benefit to Universal Credit. The payment will be issued once the UC claim is made and the Housing Benefit claim closed.

Pensioners: Universal Credit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what transitional protection is available to pensioner couples who no longer receive pension credit because one of them is below state pension age, are no longer entitled to housing benefit as a result and have applied for universal credit.

Guy Opperman: The mixed age couples change will not apply to couples already claiming Pension Credit and/or Housing Benefit for pensioners on 14 May for as long as they remain entitled to either benefit. DWP wrote earlier this year to mixed age couples already receiving Pension Credit and/or Housing Benefit for pensioners to ensure they know about the change and how they could be affected if their circumstances change on or after 15 May.Couples who would be eligible for the pension age benefits under the previous rules but have not claimed before 15 May will have up to 13 August to make a backdated claim to 14 May and we encourage them to do so

Food Poverty

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to reduce food poverty.

Will Quince: This Government is committed to a sustainable solution to poverty in all its forms. This means a strong economy and a benefit system that supports employment and higher pay. Compared to 2010, there are over 3.6 million more people in work, 1 million fewer workless households and 667,000 fewer children in workless households.Whilst we have always said that there are many reasons people use Food Banks, we have responded quickly to concerns about the early roll out of Universal Credit and made numerous improvements to ensure people get the money they need as soon as possible. New questions have been added to the Family Resources Survey to develop a food insecurity measure from 2021 to help better understand the drivers of food insecurity and identify which groups are most at risk.

Universal Credit

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 13 May to Question 249845 on Universal Credit, what proportion of universal credit claimants who had not fully repaid their advance as of 5 May 2019 had taken out that advance prior to 5 November 2017.

Alok Sharma: 8.1% of UC advances which were paid before 5 November 2017, have not been fully repaid as at 5 June 2019, which is the latest position available.Universal Credit new claim advances provide access to a payment for those in financial need, which can be accessed on the same day, until their first UC payment is due. Claimants can access up to 100% of the total expected monthly award, for which they can pay back over a period of up to 12 months. From October 2021, this maximum repayment period will be extended further to 16 months.Notes:1. This data has been sourced from internal management information and was not intended for public release. It should therefore not be compared to any other similar data subsequently released by the Department.

Universal Credit

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans she has to amend the income assessment periods for universal credit for claimants with flexible incomes.

Alok Sharma: Universal Credit takes earnings into account in a way that is fair and transparent. The amount of Universal Credit paid reflects, as closely as possible, the actual circumstances of a household during each monthly assessment period, including any earnings reported by the employer during the assessment period, regardless of when they were paid, or which month they relate to.Assessment periods allow for Universal Credit awards to be adjusted on a monthly basis, ensuring that if claimants’ incomes fall, they do not have to wait several months for a rise in their Universal Credit award.Claimants can discuss queries about how fluctuating income effects Universal Credit with their case managers and work coaches, who can also signpost to services appropriate to individual circumstances.The Government is working with employers to ensure that they use the most appropriate payment practices and comply with RTI guidelines in order to minimise the incidence of erroneous or late reporting by employers. HMRC have updated the guidance to reiterate to employers the importance of reporting accurate dates and the impact on payment cycles.More guidance on this is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-different-earning-patterns-and-your-payments/universal-credit-different-earning-patterns-and-your-payments-payment-cycles

Post Office Card Account

Marion Fellows: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Post Office card accounts were active in each of the last five years; and how much his Department paid into those accounts.

Guy Opperman: The figures for the number of active accounts at year end for the last five years are as follows: At Year EndTotal Number of AccountsMarch 20152409075March 20162179279March 20171790546March 20181383266March 20191103328 The figures for the amount paid into Post Office card accounts for the last five financial years are as follows: Financial YearMonies Paid in by DWP2014-2015£17,333,287,535.112015-2016£16,228,823,143.882016-2017£14,141,533,797.782017-2018£12,047,638,556.852018-2019£9,515,393,806.89

Post Office Card Account

Marion Fellows: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make it her policy to extend the use of Post Office card accounts beyond 2021.

Guy Opperman: The Post Office card account contract ends in November 2021. There are currently no plans to extend this contract.The DWP has written to customers who use the Post Office card accounts to encourage them to receive payment into a mainstream account. This is part of our policy of reducing reliance on payment exception services and promoting financial inclusion through the use of mainstream accounts. Mainstream accounts offer more features and reduce the cost to the taxpayer. One of the key messages we highlight, is that 99% of banks’ personal accounts enable customers to withdraw cash, deposit cash and cheques, and make balance enquiries at a Post Office counter via its network of 11,600 branches.For those claimants and pensioners who are unable to open a mainstream account, the DWP will implement an alternative payment service that allows users to obtain cash payments in their local area (including suburban and rural locations) before the end of the Post Office card account contract in November 2021.All DWP letters provide a free telephone number where the customer can call to discuss their payment options further and change their method of payment over the telephone. A copy of these letters will be placed in the House of Commons Library.As we approach the end of the Post Office card account contract, the DWP and POL will work together to issue joint guidance on Post Office card account user’s options, to transfer to other payments methods.

Employment and Support Allowance: Carer's Premium

Margaret Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many employment and support allowance claimants receive the carer premium.

Justin Tomlinson: The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Department for Work and Pensions: Debt Collection

Emma Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department engages enforcement agents.

Will Quince: Where a claimant is no longer in receipt of benefit, and all other recovery options have been exhausted, the Department for Work and Pensions may refer a debt to a Private Sector Debt Collection Agency. In March 2015, Indesser, was appointed as the provider of cross-government debt services under a joint-venture with the Cabinet Office.

Personal Independence Payment: Medical Examinations

Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many disabled people have had their mobility car repossessed after an assessment for personal independence payments; how many people have subsequently had their entitlement reinstated after an appeal; and if she will make a statement.

Justin Tomlinson: The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Pensions: Consumer Information

Ms Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to ensure that consumer interest is central to the development of the pensions dashboard product.

Guy Opperman: Pension dashboards are a priority for this government and ensuring they are delivered in the interest of consumers is of the upmost importance to us. That is why the Money and Pensions Service will convene an industry delivery group to oversee the development, delivery and governance of dashboards. On 3 June 2019, the Money and Pensions Service announced that Chris Curry from the Pensions Policy Institute will be the Principal of the industry delivery group, the most senior role within the group. As the Principal, he will identify and agree who in industry will sit on the delivery group to ensure they are best placed to deliver dashboards for the benefit of the consumer. The industry delivery group will be made up of stakeholders from across the industry, consumer groups, regulators and government.Once the industry delivery group is up and running, what we expect to see from them in 2019 is to:create a roadmap for delivering the supporting architecture;start to work with industry on agreeing data standards and schemes readiness to provide data and;design a robust governance and security framework.In parallel we expect industry to start creating and testing consumer facing dashboards. This will help determine what information is necessary and show how it can be presented in a meaningful way that best meets the needs of the consumer. The industry delivery group must carefully consider how and when the first live dashboards are promoted to consumers.We also set out in the government’s response to the consultation on pensions dashboards, the ten design principles which the industry delivery group must adhere to when designing the dashboard system to help ensure the privacy and security of individual’s data. These include that the system must comply with the Data Protection Act 2018 and General Data Protection Regulation and that the system must not include a central database.

Universal Credit

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, in what circumstances the repayment period of an advance that has been agreed with a universal credit claimant can be amended.

Alok Sharma: Universal Credit new claim and benefit transfer advances provide access to a payment for those in financial need, which can be accessed on the same day, until their first UC payment is due ensuring no one has to be left without means of financial support. Claimants can access up to 100% of the total expected monthly award, which they can pay back over a period of up to 12 monthly instalments. In the Autumn Budget 2018, we announced that from October 2021, the repayment period for these advances will be extended to 16 monthly instalments. Other advances are available for where a claimant has a substantial increase in the amount of their Universal Credit payment, due to a change in their circumstances, in which case they can have an advance of up to 50% of the increase and can be repaid over up to 6 monthly instalments. Also a Budgeting advance is available for one off unexpected financial events that the claimant is unable to meet and is repayable over a period of up to 12 monthly instalments. We recognise that exceptional circumstances may occur to claimants that were not foreseen when the advance was taken out and if this means the claimant is facing unexpected financial hardship they can ask the Department for a deferral of the repayment of any advance they have taken out. The deferral periods are up to 3 months for a new claim, benefit transfer or change of circumstances advance and up to 6 months for a Budgeting advance. Where a claimant has a reduction in benefit due to a Fraud Penalty or Conditionally Sanction that equals or exceeds 40% of their Universal Credit standard allowance then no advance repayment will be taken. If there is insufficient Universal Credit in payment due to reductions such as earnings, other income and capital yield to take the full amount of advances repayment, a lesser amount will be taken.

Universal Credit

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 8 April 2019 to Question 240478, if he will itemise each step referred to in that Answer.

Alok Sharma: The Department has taken a number of steps to ensure that advances meet the needs of claimants and that the recovery arrangements are personalised and reasonable. Affordability is managed by ensuring the recovery rate for these advances will not be more than the equivalent of 40 per cent of the claimant’s standard allowance. The claimant is given the choice over the repayment period and it is explained to them exactly how much will be deducted each month depending on the option they choose. If the claimant is making the advance application online, these options are clearly displayed on screen for them to choose from. If during the recovery of an advance the claimant experiences an unforeseen expense that would cause them or their family genuine hardship if they were required to continue to repay the advance, then they can be offered a deferral period of the repayment of the advance of up to 3 months for a new claim, benefit transfer or change of circumstance advance and up to 6 months for a budgeting advance. The Department has also announced that from October 2019 the maximum rate of deductions from a claimant’s standard allowance will be reduced from 40 per cent to 30 per cent and from October 2021 we will be increasing the recovery period for advances from 12 to 16 months, further supporting those in financial need. This is in addition to having previously increasing the amount a claimant could receive as an advance payment from 50 per cent to 100 per cent of their indicative award.

Universal Credit

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 8 April 2019 to Question 240478, for what reason the decision was made to extend the recovery period for advances to 16 months.

Alok Sharma: Currently, the maximum amount of an advance is determined by the claimants expected UC payment and the need to repay it over 12 months at a maximum deduction rate of 40% of the standard allowance.We have announced that we will reduce this maximum rate to 30% to ensure that claimants with the highest rate of deductions will keep more of their monthly payment. UC claimants who currently have deductions of over 30% will benefit from this change, because they will have up to 10% more of their Universal Credit standard allowance available each month.We recognise that this could impact the maximum advance available to claimants, to ensure that this does not happen and that claimants still receive the level of support they need, we have increased the amount of time claimants have to repay the Advance from 12 to 16 months.

Universal Credit

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 24 May to Question 254729 on universal credit, what penalties can be levied on claimants of universal credit if they are unable to repay their advance within 12 repayment instalments.

Alok Sharma: The Department does not levy penalties on claimants who do not repay their advance within either a calendar 12 month from taking out the advance, nor where they do not repay the advance in 12 monthly instalments.

Universal Credit

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what information  her Department holds on the number of claimants of universal credit without a permanent fixed address.

Will Quince: This information is not centrally collated, and to do so would create a disproportionate cost to the Department. Universal Credit case managers and work coaches are aware of the reported circumstances of individuals and are able to provide a tailored approach, which includes those without a fixed address. The Department is committed to ensuring that those who are homeless, or at risk of homelessness, get the appropriate support to stabilise their lives and move into work. There is a range of support which can be considered, such as access to Alternative Payment Arrangements, easements to work-search requirements, and partnerships between Jobcentres and housing organisations. By law, work coaches in England must offer a voluntary referral to claimants they consider may be homeless or threatened with homelessness to a Local Housing Authority.Data on homelessness by local authority level, provided by the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government, is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/homelessness-statistics

Universal Credit

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the proportion of universal credit claimants who have had payments reduced because they had previously received advances.

Alok Sharma: Universal Credit (UC) new claim advances provide access to a payment for those in financial need, which can be accessed on the same day, until their first UC payment is due. Claimants can access up to 100% of the total expected monthly award, for which they can pay back over a period of up to 12 months. The Department has taken a number of steps to ensure that advances meet the needs of claimants and that recovery arrangements are personalised and reasonable. From October 2019 we are reducing the maximum rate of deductions to 30 per cent and from October 2021 we are increasing the maximum recovery period for advances from 12 to 16 months. The latest available data is for eligible claims to UC Full Service that are due a payment in February 2019. Of these claims 44% had a deduction to repay a UC advance. Notes: Data has been sourced from UC Full Service.

Poverty

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 5 June 2019 to Question 257500, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of formally adopting a definition for destitution.

Will Quince: This Government is committed to broadening our understanding of people’s living standards. New experimental statistics to measure poverty are being developed, based on the work undertaken by the Social Metrics Commission (SMC) which was presented in the SMC’s ‘A New Measure of Poverty’ report last year. This development work includes consideration of groups of people previously omitted from poverty statistics, like rough sleepers and those just above the low income threshold but in overcrowded housing, as well as consideration of a wider measurement framework of poverty covering the depth, persistence and lived experience of poverty.There is no agreed way of defining destitution. External organisations (most notably the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF)) have attempted to define and measure destitution. The JRF’s definition of destitution, however, is complex, and challenging to measure with accuracy. The JRF admit that there is a wide margin of uncertainty about the numbers they identify as destitute. The government therefore has no plans to adopt this definition as any official definition of destitution should be measurable and accurate.

Universal Credit: Overpayments

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 5 June 2019 to Question 257458 on universal credit: overpayments, what the (a) cause and (b) reasons were for the overpayments made to the 16,260 people who submitted successful applications for a reduction in their repayment rate.

Alok Sharma: Pursuant to the answer to Question 257458, of the 16,260 Universal Credit (UC) claimants who had a UC overpayment, who were successful in having their UC overpayment repayment rate reduced in 2018/19, there were approximately 18,450 individual overpayments as a claimant can have more than 1 UC overpayment. To answer part (a), the table below provides the classification of those overpayments: Debt CountDebt Classification60Fraud2,620Claimant Error30No Description15,740Official Error18,450  To answer part (b), the table below provides general overpayment reasons:Debt CountOverpayment Reason9,910UC-Other Benefit Not Taken Into account2,770UC-Undeclared Earnings not reported via Real Time Information or Late Self Reporting of Earnings1,840UC-Housing Costs Not Taken Into Account Correctly/ Incorrectly Declared1,130No Description760UC-Not Entitled740UC-Other Income Not Taken Into Account400UC-Ceased Caring or Undeclared Carers Allowance380UC-Non Dependents Not Declared in Household250UC-Duplicate Payments90UC-Childcare Costs Claimed When Not entitled to All / Some90UC-Overpaid Health Premium60UC-Undeclared/incorrect Savings over Allowable Limit30UC- Living Together Not Taken Into Accountless than 10Attendance Allowance/Disability Living Allowance – Severe Disability Premium Withdrawnless than 10UC-Undeclared Death Of Partner / Dependant18,450 (Will not sum due to rounding)  *All figures in this response have been sourced from internal management information and were not intended for public release. They should therefore not be compared to any similar figures subsequently released by the Department. All figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.

Universal Credit: Overpayments

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 5 June 2019 to Question 257458 on universal credit: overpayments, how her Department defines substantial financial and/or medical hardship.

Alok Sharma: The Department does not apply a strict definition as to what constitutes ‘substantial and/or medical hardship’ as these decisions are based on a claimant’s circumstances and the supporting evidence provided. Where an application for waiver is received it will be considered on its own merits, according to the principles set out in Her Majesty’s Treasury’s guidance on Managing Public Money.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Hunting

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 11 December 2018 to Question 199874 on Hunting, what criteria his Department applies to ensure that scientific evidence is sufficient to (a) demonstrate that trophy hunting is an effective conservation tool and (b) is independent of the trophy hunting industry.

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 1 April 2019 to Question 236523 on Polar Bears, what progress he has made on holding a roundtable discussion with organisations from all sides of the debate on whether the six species that are protected by stricter trophy hunting import controls at EU level will be maintained or extended in the event of the UK leaving the EU.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: Imports of hunting trophies into the UK are subject to strict controls under the EU Wildlife Trade Regulations, which apply in the UK. All applications for permits to import hunting trophies into the UK are assessed to make sure that the import would not have a harmful effect on the conservation status of the species or on the extent of the territory occupied by the relevant population of the species. In addition, the applicant must provide documentary evidence, in the form of an export permit that demonstrates that the specimens have been obtained in accordance with the legislation on the protection of the species concerned. There are import suspensions in place for countries where hunting of the species concerned is not considered to be sustainable. The need for any further suspensions is kept under active review.  The Secretary of State held a roundtable with stakeholders last month on this issue.

Livestock: Antimicrobials

Scott Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of a preventative approach to animal health in combating antimicrobial resistance; and whether it is his policy that reducing the effect of that resistance is a key public good.

David Rutley: Reducing the spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and the need to use antibiotics through infection prevention and control in human and animal health is one of a number of cores principles in the UK’s 5 Year National AMR Action Plan and 20 Year Vision. Our Action Plan recognises antimicrobial resistance as a global public good. This is reflected in the high priority the UK gives to addressing the problem of AMR. Since 2014, the sales of antibiotics for use in food-producing animals in the UK have dropped by 40%. And in the Action Plan, the government has committed to working with vets and farmers to further reduce antibiotic use in animals by 25% between 2016 and 2020, with objectives to be refreshed by 2021.

Agriculture

Scott Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support the agricultural sector after the UK leaves the EU; and whether he plans to introduce a distinct and internationally recognised UK standard for agricultural goods based on a high level of animal health and welfare.

David Rutley: The Government’s plans for agriculture and for supporting the sector as the UK leaves the European Union are underpinned by the Agriculture Bill. The Bill is a central part of the Government’s programme of legislation to deliver as smooth a departure as possible and achieve a green Brexit. At the heart of our new policy in England will be a system that pays public money for public goods. Our future agriculture policy will help farmers continue to provide a supply of healthy, home-grown produce made to high environmental and animal welfare standards. We are committed to putting in place a Gold Standard of metrics which will provide a framework of sustainability metrics, establishing a common vocabulary for environmental and animal welfare measurements in food and farming that can be used across public and private sectors. We already have some of the highest welfare standards in the world, as well as a number of voluntary labelling schemes which provide assurances as to the welfare of the animals, both of which ensure consumers are not misled by the labelling of products that contain meat or dairy products. Once we leave the EU, we will review food labelling to ensure that we have a framework that meets the needs of UK consumers and producers. Labelling for welfare outcomes is one area that the review will cover.

Beverage Containers: Recycling

Faisal Rashid: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to respond to the public consultation on the Deposit Return Scheme for drinks containers, published in February 2019.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The consultation on proposals to introduce a deposit return scheme in England, Wales and Northern Ireland closed on 13 May. Policy officials are currently analysing the responses, and the analysis of responses and the Government’s response will be published in due course.

Tree Planting

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he (a) has taken and (b) is planning to take in response to the recommendations on planting trees made by the Climate Change Committee in its report Net Zero – The UK’s contribution to stopping global warming, published in May 2019.

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he (a) has taken and (b) is planning to take to encourage local authorities to implement the recommendations on planting trees made by the Climate Change Committee in its report Net Zero – The UK’s contribution to stopping global warming, published in May 2019.

David Rutley: The Committee on Climate Change published its report on 2 May. We very much welcome this analysis and will be responding in a timeframe that reflects the urgency of this crucial issue. The Government is driving forward its manifesto commitment to plant 11 million trees over the course of this parliament. We have kick started a vast Northern Forest, which will see 50 million trees planted from Liverpool to Hull; allocated £10 million to plant new trees in our towns and cities through the urban trees challenge fund; and appointed a Tree Champion to lead our engagement on a new English Tree Strategy. In the Autumn Budget, the Chancellor announced £50 million to help plant new woodlands through the Woodland Carbon Guarantee. We have recently consulted on Best Practice Guidance and issued the Urban Tree Manual, which support the sustainable management of trees. The National Planning Policy Framework, published in July 2018, encourages better recognition of trees and woodlands for the wider natural capital benefits they can provide.

Horse Racing: Animal Welfare

Mr Gavin Shuker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to reduce the number of race horses killed as a result of horse racing.

David Rutley: The Government is keen that the welfare needs of racehorses are well met, both during their racing lives and afterwards. The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) is responsible for the safety of racehorses at British racecourses and the BHA works alongside the RSPCA and World Horse Welfare to make horseracing as safe as possible.However, both I and the BHA consider that more can be done to make horseracing safer which is why I have been holding regular discussions with the BHA about this. Most recently on the 14 May, I met with the BHA as well as the new independent Chair of the BHA’s newly appointed Horse Welfare Board. This was a constructive meeting where the number of fatalities of racehorses was acknowledged and both sides agreed that further action is required to tackle avoidable harm and make the sport safer.The Board committed to doing all it can to improve welfare outcomes. I stressed the need for the BHA to develop a robust action plan that will deliver tangible results and intend to stay in regular contact with the industry to continue to press for improvements in racehorse welfare.

Poultry: Animal Welfare

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he is taking steps to help ensure that supermarkets which have committed to stop selling eggs from hens kept in enriched cages by 2025 meet that target.

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to encourage supermarkets to stop selling eggs from hens kept in enriched cages before 2025.

David Rutley: I am aware that all major supermarkets have committed to stop selling eggs from hens kept in enriched cages by 2025. This is a voluntary initiative and as a result it is not necessary for the Government to take steps to help ensure they meet that target. The Government shares the public’s high regard for animal welfare and the welfare of our farmed livestock in all systems is protected by comprehensive and robust legislation. Consumers can make an informed choice as, under Commission Regulation (EC) 589/2008 laying down detailed rules as regards marketing standards for eggs, it is a requirement to include an indication of the farming method on the packs and the eggs themselves.

Air Pollution: Schools

Meg Hillier: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps his Department has taken to improve air quality around schools in Hackney.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The Mayor of London is responsible for air quality in the capital and has reserve powers under the 1995 Environment Act to enable this. Local authorities have discretionary powers to restrict car access to schools and enforce anti-idling laws outside schools. Local authorities are best placed to target action to improve local air quality. The Government’s Air Quality Grant Programme provides funding to local authorities for projects in local communities to tackle air pollution and reduce emissions which may include action targeting schools. The Government has awarded over £60 million in funding since the air quality grant started in 1997, including £3 million in 2018/19. Hackney Council has benefited from this fund. The Government has put in place a £3.5 billion plan to improve air quality and reduce harmful nitrogen dioxide emissions. Our Clean Air Strategy sets out measures we are taking to improve air quality and reduce emissions of pollution, improving public health.

Climate Change

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the merits of (a) rewilding and (b) other natural methods to tackle climate change.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The concept of rewilding has a variety of characteristics and definitions applied to the term. Nature-based solutions are key to tackling climate change and averting its impacts. The Government is deploying such solutions to improve our natural environment.The government’s 25 Year Environment Plan sets out key policies on how improving nature can help tackle climate change. Under the new Environmental Land Management Scheme we will pay public money for the provision of environmental public goods. These public goods will include the mitigation of and adaption to climate change.Tree planting is one of the main contributors to nature-based carbon sequestration and the Government supports this in a number of ways. Our manifesto committed to planting 11 million trees by 2022, and in addition a further 1 million trees in our towns and cities, and we also have a long term aspiration to increase woodland cover from 10% to 12% by 2060. To achieve these goals, in the Autumn Budget the Chancellor announced £10 million for an Urban Trees Challenge Fund and £50 million to help plant new woodlands through the Woodland Carbon Guarantee.Peatlands are our largest terrestrial carbon store. We have committed to publishing an England Peatland Strategy. The strategy will set out our vision to reverse decline in peatlands and restore them. Work is underway on four large-scale peatland restoration projects across England, to which we have allocated £10 million, and will restore 5,851 ha of degraded peatlands. We are also improving satmarshes.Natural England has an ongoing uplands programme with landowners and we will also be setting up a Lowland Agricultural Peatland Taskforce to help sustainably manage and restore peatland habitats. Once restored, our healthy functioning peatlands will provide a range of public benefits in addition to carbon storage, including flood mitigation and biodiversity rich habitats. We also support nature-based solutions through our international aid programmes on forestry and mangroves/blue forests.

Plastics: Consumption

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to reduce levels of plastic consumption in the UK.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: This Government is taking action to tackle all avoidable plastic waste. We have introduced one of the world’s toughest bans on microbeads in rinse-off personal care products and significantly reduced the use of plastic bags by around 86% with our 5p carrier bag charge. New measures to ban the distribution and/or sale of plastic straws, stirrers, and plastic-stemmed cotton buds have been announced which will come into force from April 2020. We have consulted on plans to extend the charge to all retailers, and consulted on increasing the minimum 5p charge to at least 10p. Earlier this year, we published consultations on measures to significantly change the way that we deal with our waste in the UK, helping to cut plastic pollution as we move towards a more circular economy. These included proposals to: reform the existing packaging waste regulations; introduce a deposit return scheme for drinks containers; and to increase consistency in the recycling system. Legislative proposals will be developed taking account of the consultation responses.

Plastics: Packaging

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps his Department has taken to help reduce plastic packaging in supermarkets.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The Government is currently working with retailers and the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) to encourage their efforts to reduce waste and to explore the introduction of plastic-free supermarket initiatives in which fresh food is sold loose, giving consumers the choice. The government recently consulted on reforms to the packaging producer responsibility system to ensure that packaging producers meet the full cost of managing and recycling packaging waste. This provides a strong incentive to producers to reduce the amount of packaging they use and to make packaging that is more easily collected and recycled. Plastic food packaging serves important purposes such as protecting food, providing important storage information, extending the shelf life and decreasing food waste. However there are opportunities where offering food loose may help to reduce plastic waste whilst not impacting on shelf life. WRAP have published a technical report on the evidence for providing fresh produce loose and this will inform future guidance. And industry is already taking action. In April last year, WRAP and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation launched their world-leading UK Plastics Pact, with support from the Government, and all the major supermarkets have signed up to it. The Pact brings these organisations together with four key targets for 2025 that aim to reduce the amount of plastic waste generated. Which include action to eliminate problematic or unnecessary single-use plastic packaging items. Our proposed reforms will support supermarkets in achieving those targets.

World Bee Day

Sir Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what events he attended to commemorate World Bee Day on 20 May 2019.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: World Bee Day’s objective is to raise public awareness of the role of beekeeping, bees and other pollinators in increasing food security and fighting hunger as well as providing key ecosystem services for agriculture. Lord Gardiner, the Minister with responsibility for policy on bee health and pollinators, attended an event on 16 May at Winfield House, hosted by the United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom, to mark World Bee Day. The event was also attended by many of our partners on the National Pollinator Strategy and the Healthy Bees Plan. Lord Gardiner was invited to provide a short address in which he emphasised the importance of supporting healthy wild and managed bee populations. Lord Gardiner also recently attended the RHS Chelsea Flower Show to support Sarah Eberle’s Gold Medal winning ‘Resilience Garden’ and its promotion of the importance of biosecurity in protecting our native species, including bees and other pollinators, from pests and disease. Furthermore, at the Suffolk Show this May, Lord Gardiner celebrated the contribution local farmers are making to create vital habitats for bees and pollinators which, in turn, benefits the region’s crop production. As part of the National Pollinator Strategy, Defra established and coordinates ‘Bees’ Needs Week’ alongside conservation groups, beekeepers, farmers, researchers and businesses to promote and raise awareness of the actions everyone can take for bees and other pollinators all year round. This year’s campaign runs from 8-14 July.

Birds: Pest Control

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will publish Natural England’s 2014 assessment and advice on General Licences.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: Natural England’s 2014 assessment and advice on general licences can be found at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/news/natural-england-board-determines-outcome-of-general-licences-consultation

Seas and Oceans: Environment Protection

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to protect oceans and marine life.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The UK is working both domestically and internationally to improve global ocean conservation in line with the Sustainable Development Goals, especially SDG14. Internationally, we are leading calls to protect 30% of the world’s ocean by 2030. We are on track to protect 4 million square kilometres of ocean across our Overseas Territories by 2020 and are backing an Ascension Island bid to protect 100% of its offshore waters. To support the achievement of the “30by30” target the UK is working hard to secure the agreement of a new Implementing Agreement under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction in 2020. The UK is at the forefront in establishing Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). We currently have 355 sites protecting 25% of UK waters. Included in these figures, is the recent designation of the third tranche of Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs), where a further 41 sites have been designated. This tranche builds on the 50 MCZs previously designated and essentially completes the UK’s contribution to the ecologically coherent network of MPAs in terms of habitat and species representation. We are also working to reduce plastic pollution in the ocean and are leading global efforts to tackle the problem through our support of the G7 Oceans Plastics Charter, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s New Plastics Economy and the Commonwealth Blue Charter. In April 2018, we launched the Commonwealth Clean Ocean Alliance (CCOA), which we co-lead with Vanuatu. The CCOA encourages its 25 member countries to take steps to eliminate avoidable single-use plastics, significantly reduce single use plastic carrier bags by 2021 and implement a ban of microbeads in rinse-off personal care products by 2021. The Government’s forthcoming International Ocean Strategy will set out our plan to work with our international partners to secure a sustainable, prosperous and secure ocean future.

Plastics: Regulation

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to reduce levels of plastic use; and if he will make a statement.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the Rt. Hon. Member for Birkenhead, Frank Field, on 10 June 2019, PQ 259012.

Nature Conservation

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure developers in England enhance habitats for wildlife.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The 25 Year Environment Plan set out the Government’s ambitions for thriving plants and wildlife. We have committed to embedding a net gain approach to development, strengthened the National Planning Policy Framework to make it clear that all development within its scope should achieve net gains for biodiversity and consulted on proposals to mandate biodiversity net gain for development. We will use the forthcoming Environment Bill to legislate for mandatory biodiversity net gain in the planning system. A mandatory approach will provide a consistent framework for the development sector to contribute to the provision and enhancement of habitats for wildlife.

Air Pollution: West Midlands

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to improve air quality in the West Midlands.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: As part of our £3.5 billion plan to tackle roadside nitrogen dioxide (NO2) concentrations, the Government is working closely with 61 English local authorities and has placed legal duties on them, underpinned by £495 million in funding, to tackle their NO2 exceedances. This includes Birmingham City Council, Coventry City Council, City of Wolverhampton, Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council, Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council, Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council and Walsall Council. Each of these local authorities has been directed to undertake local plans or studies to identify any measures that could bring forward compliance with NO2 legal limits. A number of these have now concluded and the Government is working with the local authorities to implement measures including charging Clean Air Zones, bus retrofitting and upgrades, traffic signal optimisation and behavioural change schemes. In March 2019 Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council received a further direction to undertake a full local plan as updated national modelling identified a more persistent, long term exceedance in Solihull. The local authority is required to submit initial plans by 31 July 2019 and final plans by 30 April 2020.

Chemicals: EU Law

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the merits of maintaining the protections provided by EU chemicals and pesticides legislation and Articles 191-193 of the TFEU, after the UK leaves the EU.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The Government is committed to maintaining standards of environmental protection after we leave the EU.The Political Declaration refers to the possibility of cooperation between the UK and the European Chemicals Agency on chemicals. Any arrangements will be a matter for future trade negotiations.Current EU regulations for chemicals and pesticides have already been legislated for in domestic law, where necessary to be automatically triggered in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.More broadly, the environmental protections afforded by EU Treaties, including the TFEU, will not be weakened when we leave the EU, though we will no longer be part of EU institutions like the Economic and Social Committee. Environmental principles and a provision to publish a policy statement have been included in clauses in the draft Environment Bill.

Veterinary Medicine

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to increase the number of veterinary professionals in the meat industry.

David Rutley: Defra is taking a number of steps, working with the profession and others, to increase the number of veterinary professionals working in the UK and to enhance the attractions of a veterinary career. We sent our evidence on UK veterinary capacity, including in the meat industry, to the Migratory Advisory Committee. In their review published on 29 May, the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) recommended that the veterinary profession is restored to the Shortage Occupation List. The recommendations are currently with the Home Secretary.

Recycling

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the volume of recyclable material sent abroad for recycling in each of the last three years.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The Environment Agency (EA) estimates that 10million tonnes of green list (non-hazardous) waste such as uncontaminated waste paper or plastic is exported each year for recycling. The quantity of notified (hazardous) waste exported in 2016 for recycling was 2.8m tonnes. In 2017 it was 4.2million tonnes and in 2018 it was 4.2million tonnes.

Charities: Plastic Bags

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he is taking steps to encourage charities to (a) stop using plastic bags to collect charity donations and (b) explore alternatives.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The Government’s Resources and Waste Strategy for England, published in December last year, sets out our plans to reduce plastic pollution and move towards a more circular economy. This builds on the commitment in the 25 Year Environment Plan to eliminate all avoidable plastic waste.Following a public consultation in 2017, the Fundraising Regulator strengthened its Code of Practice, requiring charitable house to house collectors not to post collection bags to properties that indicate they do not wish to receive them, thus reducing the distribution of unwanted charity collection bags. The Waste and Resources Action Programme has also produced guidance to help local authorities and textiles collectors such as charities, waste management companies and textile merchants increase textile reuse and recycling and reduce the amount of textiles being disposed of in residual waste.

Forests: Conservation

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans his Department has to improve protection and preservation of ancient woodlands as part of future national planning policy.

David Rutley: Defra officials are working with the Ministry of Communities, Housing and Local Government to produce the National Planning Policy Guidance (NPPG) to support the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) published last year. The NPPF strengthens protection of ancient woodland, meeting one of the Government’s manifesto commitments. The NPPG will be published shortly. The planning framework and guidance will reflect the importance of strengthened protection of ancient woodlands, ancient trees and veteran trees and is a significant milestone in strengthening the protection of this irreplaceable habitat.

Motor Vehicles: Exhaust Emissions

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support the public to retrofit and upgrade vehicles in order to reduce pollution.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The Government has invested over £84 million in retrofitting vehicles with pollution reducing technology since 2013, most of which have been buses for public transport. The continued development, promotion and implementation of innovative retrofit technology will be an important element of reducing emissions of nitrogen oxides and will help bridge the gap in the journey towards zero emissions by 2050. In February, the Government awarded £1 million of grants to three technology providers to support the accreditation testing of vehicle retrofit technologies, looking particularly to support bringing retrofit solutions for different vehicle types onto the market. These will mainly focus on HGVs and coaches. At the moment there is no practical retrofit solution for passenger cars and with their lower value and limited physical space, finding a cost effective solution will prove a challenge.

Land: Contamination

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the 2012 revisions to the Statutory Guidance on dealing with contaminated land.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The 2012 Statutory Guidance was issued following an extensive review with the contaminated land sector, local authorities, other interested Government departments and agencies. In 2014, Defra funded research to assess the level of understanding and impact of the revised guidance. This assessment is publicly available: http://randd.defra.gov.uk/Document.aspx?Document=12496_SP1011-AssessmentoftheImpactoftherevisedStatutoryGuidance.pdf.

Birds: Pest Control

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to announce the new rules on General Licences.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: We intend to make an announcement on the Secretary of State’s decision on general licences shortly.

Livestock Industry

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what guidance he has given to sheep farmers in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the effect will be on upland sheep farmers of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The Government recognises the particular concerns of the sheep sector in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal as over 30% of UK sheepmeat production is exported to our near neighbours in the EU. Leaving the EU without a deal at the end of October would reduce returns for all sheep producers with the impact likely to be greater in the upland areas given the later pattern of marketing from these regions. This is why it is important to reach an agreement on our withdrawal from the EU. However, as any responsible Government would, we are also preparing for the possibility of ‘no deal’ and we are in close contact with representatives of the sheep sector across the UK regarding contingency plans to minimise disruption for the sector. Specific guidance for the food and drink sector is published on gov.uk. This includes advice for importers and exporters of animal products, food labelling, tariffs, data protection and more. Furthermore, alongside the publication of technical notices, we continue to work closely with farmers, businesses and trade associations across the food and drink sector to keep them informed of EU departure preparations.

EU Rapid Alert Systems for Food and Feed

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he has taken to ensure the maintenance of access to the EU’s rapid alert system for food and feed after the UK leaves the EU.

David Rutley: Food safety is one of the Government’s top priorities on leaving the EU. The UK Government is committed to maintaining a strong relationship with the EU Commission on Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF). The exact arrangements for UK participation in RASFF will be a matter for the next phase of the negotiations and part of wider discussions on the co-operation of UK authorities with EU agencies.

Poultry Meat: USA

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the potential effect on (a) the poultry meat sector and (b) consumers of the importation of poultry washed with (i) chlorine and (ii) other antimicrobial washes from the US.

Mr Robert Goodwill: We are committed to maintaining our rigorous standards on animal welfare and food safety after Brexit - high standards and high quality are what our domestic and global customers demand, and that is what we will provide. The existing food safety provisions regarding chlorine and other pathogen reduction treatments for poultry will be transferred into UK law by the European Union (Withdrawal) Act.

Soil

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will increase support for soil monitoring to protect food production and the environment.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: Research was commissioned in November 2018 to develop soil monitoring for a variety of policy requirements, including the protection of the environment and food production. Following completion of the research project, a soil monitoring framework will be developed.

Inland Waterways: Pollution

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of recent efforts by canoeists to clear rubbish and plastic from inland waters; and what steps the Government is taking to ensure that such activity is encouraged and supported on all inland waterways in England.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The Government has not made any specific assessments of the effectiveness of recent efforts by canoeists to clear rubbish and plastic from inland waters. We support and endorse action by volunteers and local communities to take action to address the specific litter issues in their areas, and were pleased to support Keep Britain Tidy’s recent Great British Spring Clean. The Prime Minister has also recently recognised the work of Dhruv Boruah of the Thames Project through a Points of Light Award. The Government’s Litter Strategy recognises that much‑loved features of the local environment such as rivers, canals and beaches can be used as ‘flagship’ locations for clean-up action by communities. Organisations such as the Marine Conservation Society, Thames21 and Surfers Against Sewage are represented on the Community Engagement Working Group which was established under the Litter Strategy to explore the barriers to engaging and involving citizens in tackling litter and improving local places, and to recommend steps to address them.

Hydrofluorocarbons

Heidi Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the effect on climate change of hydrofluorocarbon refrigerants; and what plans he has to improve arrangements for the (a) management, (b) recycling and (c) disposal of such refrigerants.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The Government estimates that hydrofluorocarbon emissions from refrigeration and air conditioning made up around 2.5% of all UK greenhouse gas emissions in 2017, when gases are compared using their global warming potentials (GWPs). The UK greenhouse gas inventory uses the GWPs for individual hydrofluorocarbons from table 2.14 of Volume One (the Physical Science Basis) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Assessment Report 4, as agreed by decision 9/CP.2 of the Conference of Parties. The UK was one of the earliest countries to ratify the 2016 Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol relating to hydrofluorocarbons and regulations are already in place regarding the phase down of their usage as well as controls on their management, disposal and recycling. A review is expected in 2022.

Packaging: Plastics

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to reduce the use of plastic packaging in supermarkets.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Hornsey and Wood Green, Catherine West, on 30 May 2019 to PQ 257073.

Hedges and Ditches

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect of netting hedgerows on nesting birds.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: Although the Government has not undertaken this specific assessment, we closely monitor trends in bird populations. These trends have long been considered to provide a good indication of the broad state of our wildlife. In November last year, the Government published Wild Bird Populations in England, 1970 to 2017. Overall, this showed that the combined all-species index has changed little compared with around 45 years ago. However, there was much variation in numbers between species, with some species increasing and some species decreasing.

Hedges and Ditches

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to protect and conserve hedgerows.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Hornsey and Wood Green, Catherine West, on 15 April 2019 to PQ 242911.

Hedges and Ditches

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to amend the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to include stronger regulation on the netting of hedgerows.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: There are no plans to review regulations governing the netting of bird nesting places, as it is enforcement that is required rather than new regulations.

Home Office

Antisocial Behaviour

Karin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Community Trigger process in the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014.

Karin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the level of compliance by local authorities with the requirement under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 to publish data on their use of Community Triggers.

Victoria Atkins: We keep anti-social behaviour policy under review through a National Anti-social Behaviour Strategic Board which brings together a range of partners and representatives from key agencies, including the police, local government, and other Government departments, to consider the effectiveness of the powers introduced in the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014. We also published refreshed statutory guidance for frontline professionals on the use of these powers on 24 December 2017.We are aware of the Victims’ Commissioner’s report on anti-social behaviour, published on 30 April, and which makes several recommendations, including on improvements to the Community Trigger process. We will carefully consider the findings and recommendations in this report.

Knives: Crime

Meg Hillier: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department is taking to support the public health approach to tackling knife crime in Hackney.

Victoria Atkins: Tackling serious violence is a top priority for the Government and it is clear we must continue to step up the response to stop this violence. The Serious Violence Strategy sets out the Government’s approach, which depends on a multi-agency approach working across several sectors and stresses the importance of early intervention to tackle the root causes.Since launching the Strategy in April last year, we have progressed in deliver-ing on our key commitments which support early intervention and prevention including: • delivery of the Early Intervention Youth Fund of £22m which is supporting 29 projects in England and Wales, with over £4m of funding to London projects including a Pan London rescue and response county lines project which targets young people up to the age of 25 who are being exploited, or at risk of exploitation, through county lines;• delivery of the anti-knife crime Community Fund which provided £1.5m in 2018/19 to support 68 projects, with a continued focus on local multi-strand partnership approach to tackling serious violence. The Immediate Theatre, Hackney received £30k from the 2018/19 Fund to deliver positive community activities to people living in an area of high crime; and • delivery of the national knife crime media campaign – #knifefree - to raise awareness of the consequences of knife crime.In addition, on 1 April we launched a public consultation on a new legal duty to support a ‘public health’ multi-agency approach to preventing and tackling serious violence. This statutory duty would make serious violence a top priority for all key partners, ensuring that they are working together to prevent young people being caught in the criminal cycle. The consultation, closes on 28 May, can be found on the Gov.UK website at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications?departments%5B%5D=home-office&publication_filter_option=consultationsOn 13 March the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a further £100m funding in 2019/20 to help in the police’s immediate response to the rise in serious knife crime, enabling priority forces to immediately begin planning to put in place the additional capacity they need. £63.4m of this funding has already been allocated to 18 police forces worst affected by serious violence to pay for surge operational activity, such as increased patrols. This includes £20.84m to the Metropolitan Police Service. £35m of this Serious Violence Fund will support the setting up of Violence Reduction Units (VRUs) and associated preventative activity in areas most affected by serious violence.In October 2018 the Home Secretary announced a ten-year £200m Youth Endowment Fund, focused on targeted early intervention with those children and young people most vulnerable to involvement in serious violence. This will form an important part of the multi-agency, public health; approach to serious violence.On 1 April 2019 the Prime Minister hosted a Serious Youth Violence Summit at 10 Downing Street, with the support of the Home Secretary and Secretaries of State. The central aim of the summit was to ensure a shared understanding and commitment to a multi-agency, ‘public health’ approach to tackling knife crime and serious violence more generally. An outcome of the Summit is the creation of a new Ministerial Taskforce, chaired by the Prime Minister, to drive cross-government action. This will be supported by a new, dedicated, serious violence team in the Cabinet Office to support cross-departmental coordination.

Proscribed Organisations

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the criteria for proscribing groups are; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Ben Wallace: Under the Terrorism Act 2000, the Home Secretary may proscribe an organisation if he believes it is concerned in terrorism, and it is proportionate to do so. For the purposes of the Terrorism Act 2000, being concerned in terrorism means that the organisation: • commits or participates in acts of terrorism; • prepares for terrorism; • promotes or encourages terrorism (including the unlawful glorification of terrorism); or • is otherwise concerned in terrorism.

High Rise Flats: Fires

Karen Lee: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment he has made of regional disparities in the preparedness of fire services to respond to high-rise fires.

Karen Lee: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many fire and rescue services outside of London he has had discussions with on their preparedness for tackling high-rise fires.

Karen Lee: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the effect of the 15 per cent reduction in central government funding for English fire services over the period 2016-17 to 2019-20 on the ability of those services to respond to high-rise fires.

Mr Nick Hurd: Nothing is more important than keeping the public safe and the Government recognise the vital role firefighters continue to play in protecting communities. All fire and rescue services have a capability to fight high rise fires. Regular engagement takes place with the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) which represents the fire and rescue sector to Government.They are also required to have integrated risk management plans, which target resources to best protect their communities. Fire & Rescue Authorities have a statutory requirement to have mutual assistance arrangements in place to provide additional support in the event of a major incident occurring. This is augmented by Home Office supported national resilience capabilities.Fire and rescue services have the resources they need to do their important work and will receive around £2.3 billion in 2019/20. Single purpose fire and rescue authorities will see an increase in core spending power of 2.3% in cash terms in 2019/20 and an overall increase of 0.3% from 2015/16 to 2019/20.

High Rise Flats: Fires

Karen Lee: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has to implement national standards for the pre-determined attendance of firefighters and fire engines for fires in high-rise blocks.

Mr Nick Hurd: Decisions on crewing and attendance at incidents are for each Chief Fire Officer as part of their Integrated risk management plan, although Government has specifically asked Fire & Rescue Authorities to include the risk of high rise fires in their planning.

Slavery

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many suspected victims of (a) modern slavery and (b) human trafficking who were referred into the National Referral Mechanism (i) were considered for and (ii) received safe house accommodation in each calendar year since 2008.

Victoria Atkins: The National Crime Agency publishes statistics on referrals into the National Referral Mechanism on a quarterly basis. These reports start from 2016 and are available via the following link:https://nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/who-we-are/publications?search=&category%5B%5D=3&=%2Fwho-we-are%2Fpublications%3Flimit%3D15%26sort%3Dtitle%26direction%3Dasc&limit=100&tag=The Victim Care Contract is outsourced to the The Salvation Army. The contract commenced operations in 2015 and any individual referred into the NRM who requires support is referred into this contract. All individuals who would otherwise be destitute or have no safe accommodation are provided with safe house accommodation.

Slavery

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will set out the individual needs that are considered during an assessment of a victim of (a) modern slavery and (b) human trafficking's eligibility for allocation to outreach services; and if he will make a statement.

Victoria Atkins: The Salvation Army conducts a needs assessment for victims of modern slavery who are referred for support under the Victim Care Contract. These assessments are used to evaluate what kind of support services an individual requires during their outreach support.There is no assessment of eligibility as both accommodation and outreach are available to any individual referred into the NRM. The needs assessment only evaluates which type of accommodation or outreach services are most appropriate to their situation.The service requirements of the Victim Care Contract can be found publicly via the following link:https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/e03ceb15-27ad-4bad-b8ae-43dbc1e9481e

Police: Pensions

Maggie Throup: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to ensure that widows of deceased police officers are not discriminated against upon remarrying in relation to their entitlement to a survivor’s pension.

Mr Nick Hurd: Survivors of officers who were members of the 2006 and 2015 police pension schemes are, since 2006, paid survivor pensions for life.On 18 January 2016, the Police Pensions Regulations 1987 and the Police (Injury Benefit) Regulations 2006 were amended to allow widows, widowers and civil partners of police officers in England and Wales who have died on duty and who qualified for a survivor pension after 1 April 2015 to continue to receive their survivors’ benefits for life. Successive governments have been clear that there is a general presumption against making retrospective changes to public service pension schemes. However, the Government believes the arguments for making a limited exception for the widows of police officers who died on duty are sufficiently compelling in this case.

Slavery

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the safeguarding of individuals accepted into the National Referral Mechanism.

Victoria Atkins: In October 2017, the Government announced an ambitious package of reforms to the National Referral Mechanism (NRM), which were developed following the 2014 Oppenheim Review, an 18-month pilot testing alternative decision-making processes, and extensive stakeholder consultation.Adults identified in the NRM can receive specialist and tailored support through the Victim Care Contract, where they can receive accommodation, financial support, assistance in accessing mental and physical health care including counselling, and access to legal support.Through robust contract management we ensure the safeguarding of victims of modern slavery. The prime contractor for the Victim Care Contract, The Salvation Army, is responsible for ensuring that all subcontracted provision meets the needs of victims. The Salvation Army conducts regular safeguarding reviews and it has a duty to escalate to the Home Office any safeguarding concerns that it finds. Furthermore, as part of reforms to the NRM, work is also underway to develop an independent inspection framework for care provision based on the Human Trafficking Foundation’s Survivor Care Standards.Child victims of modern slavery are supported by local authorities under existing statutory child protection arrangements.

Informers: Children

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many child informants have been used by the police in county lines operations in each of the last five years.

Victoria Atkins: The statutory framework for the deployment of juveniles as covert human intelligence sources is designed to ensure that they are deployed with great care and only in very limited and carefully managed circumstances.The Home Office does not collect information on covert human intelligence sources in county line crimes as this is an operational matter.

Passports

Drew Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to limit potential confusion for the security sector when blue passports covers are issued.

Caroline Nokes: Specimens of the new passport, alongside detailed security guidance, will be sent to Overseas Missions and Embassies, as well as Carriers and Immigration authorities.This is the standard process following a passport redesign. Additionally, a downloadable document which describes key authentication features will be published on GOV.UK to support passport checking processes.

Educational Testing Service: Convictions

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 21 May 2019 to Question 254744 on Educational Testing Service: Prosecutions, what the nationalities are of the 25 convicted individuals.

Caroline Nokes: The individuals convicted were made up of the following nationalities (in alphabetical order):Three Bangladeshi nationals;Five British nationals;Four naturalised British nationals;Eight Indian nationals;Four Pakistanis nationals;One Sri Lankan national.

Bail

Carolyn Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department will take to monitor the implementation of the National Police Chief’s Council's operational guidance for pre-charge bail.

Mr Nick Hurd: Pre-charge bail is a vital policing tool for investigating crime and protecting victims and witnesses. The NPCC have issued new operational guidance to help police forces take these important decisions and use pre-charge bail whenever it is necessary and proportionate.The implementation of this guidance, and broader national issues around the use of bail, will continue to be monitored through the Home Office chaired Pre-Charge Bail Implementation Board, which brings together partners from across the criminal justice system.The Home Office remains fully supportive of the use of pre-charge bail when neces-sary and proportionate.

Fraud

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of the number of potential fraud offences that are not investigated by the police.

Mr Ben Wallace: The National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB) are responsible for reviewing and allocating offences to forces for investigation if they determine there are sufficient grounds for investigation.The Home Office collects information on the number of cases disseminated by the NFIB to police forces for investigation. These data are published annually as part of the Home Office’s ‘Crime Outcomes in England and Wales’ publication. The latest data can be found here:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/729127/crime-outcomes-hosb1018.pdf. It is a matter for receiving forces to determine if they are going to undertake an investigation, which is driven by local resourcing and priorities.

Domestic Appliances: Fires

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to help reduce the number of house fires caused by electrical sources of ignition.

Mr Nick Hurd: Home Office officials routinely discuss electrical safety issues with the NFCC to ensure opportunities to drive down electrical fires and promote electrical safety are utilised.The Department has facilitated close links between the National Fire Chiefs Council, product safety officials at the Department for Business and the sector-led Register My Appliance initiative to encourage fire and rescue services to increase the focus on electrical and product safety within their engagement with members of the public.The Home Office’s national fire safety campaign, run in partnership with the NFCC, collaborates with Electrical Safety First to run the annual Electrical Fire Safety Week. The Week is used by fire and rescue services and others to promote electrical fire safety messages.

Shops: Crimes of Violence

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has plans to (a) make an assessment of the level of attacks on retail workers and (b) review the effectiveness of sanctions for perpetrators of such attacks.

Victoria Atkins: The Government recognises the devastating impact that violence and abuse can have, not only for victims, but also for businesses, and the wider community. This is why it is vital that we continue to work closely with retailers, the police and others to tackle these crimes.The Home Office Commercial Victimisation Survey (CVS) is a survey of the extent of crime against business premises in England and Wales and includes a specific focus on crimes against wholesale and retail premises. Compared to the 2016 survey results, the 2017 CVS showed a statistically significant increase in assaults and threats (up from 524 incidents per 1,000 premises to 1,433 incidents per 1,000 premises).To address this issue I chair the National Retail Crime Steering Group (NRCSG) which brings together partners including the police, trade bodies and retailers and oversees a range of work to tackle retail crime, including violence and abuse towards shop workers.In addition, on 5 April the Home Office launched a call for evidence on violence and abuse towards shop staff. The aim of this work is to strengthen our understanding of the issue, including how existing legislation is being applied. The call for evidence closes on 28 June.

Tuna: Imports

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that imported tuna is (a) caught and (b) processed without involvement of (i) slavery, (ii) trafficking and (iii) violence.

Victoria Atkins: Under Section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, large businesses with a turnover of £36m or more are required to publish annual modern slavery statements detailing the steps they are taking to prevent modern slavery in their organisation and supply chains. The requirement applies to all sectors, including fishing. The Government expects businesses to report transparently about the modern slavery risks they have identified and what actions they have taken in response.The Home Office regularly engages with businesses across a range of sectors, including fishing, to accelerate progress in tackling modern slavery in global supply chains.The Gangmasters Labour and Abuse Authority (GLAA) licenses UK businesses which provide workers to the farming, food processing and shellfish gathering sectors to make sure they meet the employment standards required by law; and carries out inspections and enforcement activity. The GLAA also partner with businesses such as Sainsbury’s to deliver training sessions to their suppliers, equipping them to better identify and manage risks in their supply chains.

Counter-terrorism

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the review of the Prevent strategy will explore the (a) human rights and (b) social effects of the strategy.

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to ensure that the review of the Prevent strategy is open, transparent and objective.

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the review of the Prevent strategy will be undertaken by an independent reviewer.

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the process of appointment will be for the panel conducting the independent review of the Prevent strategy.

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if the Government will hold discussions with Members on the terms of reference for the review of the Prevent strategy.

Mr Ben Wallace: On 22 January 2019, the Government announced that there would be an Independent Review of the Prevent programme. The purpose of the Independent Review, as set out in legislation, is to review the Government Strategy for supporting people vulnerable to being drawn into terrorism. Work is underway to appoint the independent Reviewer, define the Terms of Reference, and to recruit a secretariat to support this work.To ensure this Review is open, transparent and objective, it will be conducted by a Reviewer who is independent from Government. The team which will support the work of the Review will sit outside the Office for Security and Counter Terrorism, which has lead responsibility for Prevent.Prevent covers a broad remit and this will be reflected in the Terms of Reference. The House will be informed of the arrangements for the Independent Review of the Prevent Strategy, including the Terms of Reference, by 12 August 2019, as required by the Counter Terrorism and Border Security Act 2019 (six months from Royal Assent).This review is an opportunity to further increase the transparency of the Prevent programme and engage with stakeholders. As I said in the House on 22 January 2019, I am happy to take suggestions on the Independent Review from Members of the House.Once the Reviewer has been appointed, that person will have the discretion to decide how to engage stakeholders in the Review and how to draw on expert opinion on the wide range of issues involved in the delivery of Prevent.

Conditions of Employment

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many labour market enforcement undertakings have been served since their introduction.

Victoria Atkins: 28 labour market enforcement undertakings have been served on businesses by the three main labour market enforcement bodies: the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate, the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority and Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs – National Minimum Wage Team, since the provision was introduced through the Immigration Act 2016, in November 2016.

Tuna

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to ensure that tuna companies operating in the UK have conducted due diligence on modern slavery in their supply chain.

Victoria Atkins: Under Section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, large businesses with a turnover of £36m or more are required to publish annual modern slavery statements detailing the steps they are taking to prevent modern slavery in their organisation and supply chains. The requirement applies to all sectors, including fishing. The Government expects businesses to report transparently about the modern slavery risks they have identified and what actions they have taken in response.The Home Office regularly engages with businesses across a range of sectors, including fishing, to accelerate progress in tackling modern slavery in global supply chains.The Gangmasters Labour and Abuse Authority (GLAA) licenses UK businesses which provide workers to the farming, food processing and shellfish gathering sectors to make sure they meet the employment standards required by law; and carries out inspections and enforcement activity. The GLAA also partner with businesses such as Sainsbury’s to deliver training sessions to their suppliers, equipping them to better identify and manage risks in their supply chains.

Hate Crime: West Midlands

Emma Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many hate crimes were recorded in (a) the West Midlands police area and (b) Wolverhampton in 2018; and how many of those cases resulted in a (i) prosecution and (ii) conviction.

Mr Nick Hurd: The Home Office collects and publishes statistics on the number of hate crimes recorded by the police by Police Force Area only. Information for West Midlands Police for 2017/18 can be found in Table 2.01 of the Hate Crime appendix tables available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/hate-crime-england-and-wales-2017-to-2018. Data for 2018/19 are due to be published later this year.Information on prosecutions and convictions is the responsibility of the Ministry of Justice.

Refugees: South West

Steve Double: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many refugees have been resettled through the (a) Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme, (b) Vulnerable Children’s Resettlement Scheme and (c) Community Sponsorship Scheme in (i) the constituency of St Austell and Newquay (ii) Cornwall and (iii) the South West of England.

Caroline Nokes: The Home Office is committed to publishing data in an orderly way as part of the regular quarterly Immigration Statistics, in line with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics.Latest statistics published on 24 May showed that 15,977 people have been resettled in the UK under the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme (VPRS) and 1,410 resettled through the Vulnerable Children’s Resettlement Scheme (VCRS). Since the Community Sponsorship scheme began in July 2016, 281 refugees have been resettled by community sponsor groups across the UK.The statistics, which include a local authority breakdown of resettlements under the VPRS and VCRS, are available at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immigration-statistics-quarterly-releaseWe do not publish geographic breakdowns of resettlements at town or parliamentary constituency level, or by community sponsor.

Knives: Crime

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 20 May 2019 to Question 254162, what the planned timescale is for the next knife amnesty action.

Victoria Atkins: Individual police forces may use knife amnesties and surrender bins at any time, as decisions of this kind are an operational matter. Such initiatives are a key component of Operation Sceptre. The most recent week of coordinated national action under Operation Sceptre took place in March, during which 10215 knives were surrendered, including in surrender bins.

Counter-terrorism

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the proportion of staff working on counter-terrorism who are (a) women and (b) black, Asian or minority ethnic.

Mr Ben Wallace: For the Office of Security and Counter Terrorism within the Home Department, the current proportion of staff working on counter-terrorism who are:a) Women is 48.85%; andb) BAME is 24.5%

Police: Disciplinary Proceedings

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police officers have been placed under investigation for (a) less than one month, (b) between one and three months, (c) between three and six months, (d) between six and 12 months and (e) over 12 months due to alleged (i) misconduct and (ii) gross misconduct in each of the last three years.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of disciplinary cases in which police officers have been placed under investigation lasting (a) less than one month, (b) between one and three months, (c) between three and six months, (d) between six and twelve months and (e) over twelve months have progressed to (i) misconduct and (ii) gross misconduct proceedings in each of the last three years.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police officers have been suspended for (a) less than one month, (b) between one and three months, (c) between three and six months, (d) between six and 12 months and (e) over 12 months due to alleged (i) misconduct and (ii) gross misconduct in each of the last three years.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many cases of alleged (a) misconduct and (b) gross misconduct by police officers that reach proceedings have (i) not been proven, (ii) led to management advice (iii) led to a written warning and (iv) led to dismissal in each of the last three years.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many cases of alleged (a) misconduct and (b) gross misconduct by police officers that lead to proceedings following an investigation lasting more than 12 months have (i) not been proven, (ii) led to management advice being issued, (iii) led to a written warning and (iv) led to dismissal in each of the last three years.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many cases of alleged (a) misconduct and (b) gross misconduct by police officers that led to proceedings following a suspension lasting over 12 months have (i) not been proven, (ii) led to management advice being issued, (iii) led to a written warning, and (iv) led to dismissal in each of the last three years.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of wages for suspended police officers under investigation in each of the last three years.

Mr Nick Hurd: The Home Office publishes data on misconduct/gross misconduct investigations involving officers and staff annually for the 43 police forces in England and Wales, including outcomes following those investigations. The latest statistics can be found in the misconduct section of the “Police workforce, England and Wales” statistical bulletin: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-workforce-england-and-wales-30-september-2018Equivalent data are available for the past 2 years. Data for previous years are not held.The Home Office does not hold information on the length of misconduct investigations, the length of suspensions, the outcome of suspensions, or the public cost of such suspensions.

Armed Forces: Foreign Nationals

Faisal Rashid: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will remove visa charges for indefinite leave to remain for commonwealth UK armed forces personnel and their families .

Caroline Nokes: All immigration and nationality fees are set within strict financial limits agreed with HM Treasury and Parliament, and are also aligned with clear principles that balance a number of complex factors, including the benefits likely to be accrued.The Home Office is listening carefully to those with concerns about how foreign and Commonwealth members of HM Forces can have the support of their families whilst serving our country.

Missing People: Databases

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what meetings he (a) has had and (b) plans to have with the National Police Chiefs’ Council through the Home Office National Law Enforcement Data Programme on the introduction of the National Register of Missing Persons.

Mr Nick Hurd: Officials have been and will continue to be in regular contact with the National Police Chiefs’ Council on the introduction of the National Register of Missing Persons.

Investigatory Powers Commissioner: Public Appointments

Stewart Malcolm McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions he had with the Scottish Government before the appointment of the first Investigatory Powers Commissioner in 2017.

Stewart Malcolm McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will consult with the Scottish Government ahead of the appointment of the new Investigatory Powers Commissioner.

Mr Ben Wallace: The appointment of the Investigatory Powers Commissioner is subject to a statutory process set out in section 227 of the Investigatory Powers Act 2016. The Prime Minister must appoint a person who holds or has held high judicial office, and the candidate must be recommended jointly by the Lord Chancellor, (b) the Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales, (c) the Lord President of the Court of Session, and (d) the Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland.Section 227(5) of the Act provides that the Prime Minster must consult with Scottish Ministers before making the appointment. In 2017, the Prime Minister wrote to the Cabinet Secretary for Justice within the Scottish Government about the proposed appointment of the first Commissioner.

Visas

Holly Lynch: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department is able to take to support visa applications from Fairtrade producers invited to the UK by the Fairtrade Foundation and other Fairtrade organisations.

Caroline Nokes: Attending meetings, conferences and seminars are all allowed under the Visitor Rules. UKVI has in place engagement teams who can work with event organisers ahead of events to support them through visa processes. Event organisers can approach UKVI directly, we also identify organisers through engagement with other government department and external Stakeholders.

Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority: Finance

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority’s budget will be increased for the coming year to reflect its wider remit as expanded by the Immigration Act 2016.

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the volume of intelligence on potential labour abuse and exploitation received by the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority; and whether funding for that authority has been assessed against the volume of that intelligence.

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he has plans to reduce the funding allocated by his Department to the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority.

Victoria Atkins: Funding for the GLAA was increased in 2016/17 and 2017/18 to reflect its wider remit and has been maintained at that level into 2019/20. Funding for future years will be decided as part of the spending review.It is for the GLAA to determine how best to allocate its resources in the light of the intelligence available to it.

Immigrants: Detainees

Lesley Laird: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people from Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath constituency have been held in (a) Dungavel and (b) other UK immigration removal centres since their inception.

Lesley Laird: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people from Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath constituency are being held in (a) Dungavel and (b) other immigration removal centres in the UK.

Lesley Laird: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many children from Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath constituency are being held in (a) Dungavel and (b) other UK immigration removal centres.

Lesley Laird: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average duration of stay is at (a) Dungavel and (b) other immigration detention centres in the UK in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Lesley Laird: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the weekly cost is to detain an individual from Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath constituency in (a) Dungavel and (b) other UK immigration removal centres.

Lesley Laird: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what education provision is provided to children detained at (a) Dungavel and (b) other UK immigration removal centres.

Caroline Nokes: The Home Office does not hold the information requested on individual detainees from Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath constituency in a reportable format. The last known addresses of detainees are not included in the underlying datasets used to produce the Home Office’s published detention figures and the information requested could only be supplied at disproportionate cost.The median length of detention of people leaving the detention estate in Q1 2019 was between 8 and 14 days, and of people in the immigration detention estate as at 31 March 2019 between 15 and 28 days. Information on the length of detention of people leaving and in the detention estate is available in tables dt_06_q and dt_11_q of the detention tables in the latest releases of ‘Immigration Statistics, year ending March 2019’.The UK ended the routine detention of children in immigration removal centres in 2010, and enshrined this in law under the Immigration Act 2014. There remain limited circumstances where, very exceptionally, unaccompanied children may be detained in the absence of suitable alternatives.A range of educational resources and other welfare services are provided to families with children in detention. The short time that families spend at the dedicated family accommodation near Gatwick means that formal education is not provided. The most recent Independent Monitoring Board report for the centre praised the learning equipment provided to children during their short stay.The average cost to detain an individual in immigration detention is provided on a per day basis. The current daily cost per detainee is £88.68, which corresponds to an annual cost of £32,368 (£88.68 multiplied by 365 days). Data can be found at the link below:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-enforcement-data-february-2019

Migrant Workers: Scotland

Stephen Kerr: What recent assessment he has made of the effect on Scotland of required income levels for skilled migrants.

Sajid Javid: Our future immigration system is designed to drive up wages and productivity across the UK and allow us to bring in the most talented while responding to public concerns about immigration.We have been very clear that no decision on the levels at which salary thresholds should be set will be taken until we have completed the UK-wide engagement process that is currently underway.

Cabinet Office

European Parliament: Elections

Catherine West: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he has had discussions with electoral registration officers on the UC1/EC6 process since the 25 April 2019 Urgent Question on Electoral Registration: EU Citizens.

Kevin Foster: Government officials worked closely with Returning Officers and the Electoral Commission andother agencies such as the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives (SOLACE) and theAssociation of Electoral Administrators (AEA) to support the smooth running of the polls on 23MayElectoral Registration Officers (EROs) are under a statutory duty to ensure people who are eligibleto vote in elections have the opportunity to do so. For the recent European Parliamentary electionsthat included making sure relevant citizens of the EU who are resident in the UK and registered tovote in local elections were made aware they needed to complete a voter registration anddeclaration form (commonly referred to as a UC1 or EC6 form) in order to enable them to voteThe Electoral Commission supported EROs in the discharge of this function and encouraged themto take additional steps to raise awareness of this requirement locally, through social mediachannels and other means.The Electoral Commission supported EROs in the discharge of this function. It issued guidance onthe 4th April which recommended that EROs should identify EU citizens who are on the localgovernment register and send them a declaration form and supporting information explaining howthey can declare their intent to vote in these elections in the UK should they wish to.

European Parliament: Elections

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent estimate he has made of the number of EU citizens who were unable to vote in the 2019 European elections due to local authorities (a) not sending the correct registration forms in time and (b) processing the registration forms incorrectly.

Kevin Foster: The Government took all the legal steps necessary to prepare for the European Parliamentaryelections and put in place all the legislative and funding elements to enable Returning Officers tomake their preparations required for the polls on 23 MayElectoral Registration Officers are responsible for administering elections at the local level. Theyare also under a statutory duty to ensure people who are eligible to vote in elections have theopportunity to do so and are supported by the Electoral Commission in delivering these functionsThe Electoral Commission encouraged EROs to take additional steps to raise awareness of thisrequirement locally, through social media channels and other means.The Electoral Commission supported EROs in the discharge of this function. It issued guidance onthe 4th April which recommended that EROs should identify EU citizens who are on the localgovernment register and send them a declaration form and supporting information explaining howthey can declare their intent to vote in these elections in the UK should they wish to.In line with their statutory duty, the Electoral Commission will be publishing a report into theadministration of the polls later this yearFigures on the number of individuals completing forms or details relating to the processing of thoseforms are not held centrally by the Government.

European Parliament: Elections

Catherine West: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he plans to launch (a) a review or (b) an official inquiry into the efficacy of the voter registration process for EU nationals following 2019 European elections.

Kevin Foster: The Government took all the legal steps necessary to prepare for the European Parliamentary elections and put in place all the legislative and funding elements to enable Returning Officers to make their preparations required for the polls. In line with their statutory duty, the Electoral Commission will be publishing a report into the administration of the polls later this year, which the Government will carefully consider in due course.

European Parliament: Elections

Catherine West: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many EU nationals completed the UC1 form to enable them to vote in 2019 European elections.

Kevin Foster: The Government took all the legal steps necessary to prepare for the European Parliamentaryelections and put in place all the legislative and funding elements to enable Returning Officers tomake their preparations required for the polls on 23 MayElectoral Registration Officers are responsible for administering elections at the local level. Theyare also under a statutory duty to ensure people who are eligible to vote in elections have theopportunity to do so and are supported by the Electoral Commission in delivering these functionsThe Electoral Commission encouraged EROs to take additional steps to raise awareness of thisrequirement locally, through social media channels and other means.The Electoral Commission supported EROs in the discharge of this function. It issued guidance onthe 4th April which recommended that EROs should identify EU citizens who are on the localgovernment register and send them a declaration form and supporting information explaining howthey can declare their intent to vote in these elections in the UK should they wish to.In line with their statutory duty, the Electoral Commission will be publishing a report into theadministration of the polls later this yearFigures on the number of individuals completing forms or details relating to the processing of thoseforms are not held centrally by the Government.

European Parliament: Elections

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will undertake a review of the requirement for EU citizens to fill in a UC1 or EC6 form in order to participate in the 2019 European elections.

Kevin Foster: It is the Government's intention to respect the 2016 referendum result and leave the European Union with a deal as soon as possible, meaning we will not participate in future European Parliamentary elections.The Electoral Commission will produce a review at the recent European Elections and the Government will consider its conclusions.

European Parliament: Elections

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the information communicated to EU citizens on the requirement for them to fill in a UC1 or EC6 form in order to participate in the 2019 European elections.

Kevin Foster: The Government took all the legal steps necessary to prepare for the European Parliamentaryelections and put in place all the necessary legislative and funding elements to enable ReturningOfficers to make their preparations required for the polls on 23 MayElectoral Registration Officers (EROs) are under a statutory duty to ensure people who are eligibleto vote in elections have the opportunity to do so. For the recent European Parliamentary electionsthat included making sure relevant citizens of the EU who are resident in the UK and registered tovote in local elections were made aware they needed to complete a voter registration anddeclaration form (commonly referred to as a UC1 or EC6 form) in order to enable them to voteThe Electoral Commission supported EROs in the discharge of this function and encouraged themto take additional steps to raise awareness of this requirement locally, through social mediachannels and other means.The Electoral Commission supported EROs in the discharge of this function. It issued guidance onthe 4th April which recommended that EROs should identify EU citizens who are on the localgovernment register and send them a declaration form and supporting information explaining howthey can declare their intent to vote in these elections in the UK should they wish to.In line with their statutory duty, the Electoral Commission will be publishing a report into theadministration of the polls later this year.

European Parliament: Elections

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will launch an inquiry into why some EU citizens were prevented from voting in the 2019 European elections.

Kevin Foster: The Government took all the legal steps necessary to prepare for the European Parliamentary elections and put in place all the legislative and funding elements to enable Returning Officers to make their preparations required for the polls. In line with their statutory duty, the Electoral Commission will be publishing a report into the administration of the polls later this year, which the Government will carefully consider in due course.

European Parliament: Elections

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of the number of EU citizens who were prevented from voting in the European Elections held on 23 May 2019.

Kevin Foster: The Government took all the legal steps necessary to prepare for the European Parliamentaryelections and put in place all the legislative and funding elements to enable Returning Officers tomake their preparations required for the polls on 23 MayElectoral Registration Officers are responsible for administering elections at the local level. Theyare also under a statutory duty to ensure people who are eligible to vote in elections have theopportunity to do so and are supported by the Electoral Commission in delivering these functionsThe Electoral Commission encouraged EROs to take additional steps to raise awareness of thisrequirement locally, through social media channels and other means.The Electoral Commission supported EROs in the discharge of this function. It issued guidance onthe 4th April which recommended that EROs should identify EU citizens who are on the localgovernment register and send them a declaration form and supporting information explaining howthey can declare their intent to vote in these elections in the UK should they wish to.In line with their statutory duty, the Electoral Commission will be publishing a report into theadministration of the polls later this yearFigures on the number of individuals completing forms or details relating to the processing of thoseforms are not held centrally by the Government.

European Parliament: Elections

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department took to ensure that local authorities communicated with EU citizens on the need to fill in a UC1 or EC6 form in order to participate in the 2019 European elections.

Kevin Foster: The Government took all the legal steps necessary to prepare for the European Parliamentaryelections and put in place all the necessary legislative and funding elements to enable ReturningOfficers to make their preparations required for the polls on 23 MayElectoral Registration Officers (EROs) are under a statutory duty to ensure people who are eligibleto vote in elections have the opportunity to do so. For the recent European Parliamentary electionsthat included making sure relevant citizens of the EU who are resident in the UK and registered tovote in local elections were made aware they needed to complete a voter registration anddeclaration form (commonly referred to as a UC1 or EC6 form) in order to enable them to voteThe Electoral Commission supported EROs in the discharge of this function and encouraged themto take additional steps to raise awareness of this requirement locally, through social mediachannels and other means.The Electoral Commission supported EROs in the discharge of this function. It issued guidance onthe 4th April which recommended that EROs should identify EU citizens who are on the localgovernment register and send them a declaration form and supporting information explaining howthey can declare their intent to vote in these elections in the UK should they wish to.In line with their statutory duty, the Electoral Commission will be publishing a report into theadministration of the polls later this year.

European Parliament: Elections

Hilary Benn: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of the number of EU citizens on the electoral register and living in the UK who were denied the right to vote in the 2019 European elections; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Foster: The Government took all the legal steps necessary to prepare for the European Parliamentaryelections and put in place all the legislative and funding elements to enable Returning Officers tomake their preparations required for the polls on 23 MayElectoral Registration Officers are responsible for administering elections at the local level. Theyare also under a statutory duty to ensure people who are eligible to vote in elections have theopportunity to do so and are supported by the Electoral Commission in delivering these functionsThe Electoral Commission encouraged EROs to take additional steps to raise awareness of thisrequirement locally, through social media channels and other means.The Electoral Commission supported EROs in the discharge of this function. It issued guidance onthe 4th April which recommended that EROs should identify EU citizens who are on the localgovernment register and send them a declaration form and supporting information explaining howthey can declare their intent to vote in these elections in the UK should they wish to.In line with their statutory duty, the Electoral Commission will be publishing a report into theadministration of the polls later this yearFigures on the number of individuals completing forms or details relating to the processing of thoseforms are not held centrally by the Government.

Freedom of Information

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when he plans to respond to the Information Commissioner's report, Outsourcing oversight: the case for reforming access to information law which was published in January 2019.

Kevin Foster: The Government responded to the IC's report to Parliament on the 24 April 2019.Copies of the response have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Fracking: China

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will review the merits of the Government's assistance for fracking in China.

Mr David Lidington: All of the support we provide through our Prosperity Fund is already very carefully considered, including to the energy sector in China. The overall purpose of the Fund is to promote inclusive growth whilst contributing to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The Fund’s climate change and energy programmes all support the SDGs, including SDG 7 (affordable, reliable, sustainable modern energy) and SDG 13 (climate action). Sharing UK expertise, including on environmental regulation will help ensure that China’s planned development of its unconventional gas resources is done to high standards, and is managed as part of a transition to a low carbon energy system. This will reduce emissions, as well as support economic development and poverty reduction.

Legal Aid Scheme: Universal Credit

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what discussions he has had with the Secretaries of State for Work and Pensions and Justice on the accessibility of legal aid for universal credit claimants.

Mr David Lidington: No discussions have taken place on the accessibility of legal aid for universal credit claimants. This is not in the remit of the Cabinet Office.

Huawei: 5G

Jo Platt: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 5 June 2019 to Question 257536 on Huawei: 5G, for what reason the answer does not make reference to whether the National Cyber Security Centre monitors the number of UK telecoms operators that utilise Huawei Cyber Security Evaluation Centre advice and guidance.

Mr David Lidington: The National Cyber Security Centre engage with every operator who uses the Huawei Cyber Security Evaluation Centre to manage cyber security risks within their networks. Owing to commercial sensitivities this list cannot be disclosed. Other operators may use the guidance that is publicly available on the NCSC website, which we cannot track, or advice from other relevant bodies such as Ofcom, the regulator.

European Parliament: Elections

Afzal Khan: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what discussions he has had with representatives of local authorities on EU citizens that were prevented from voting in the 2019 European Parliament elections.

Kevin Foster: My officials and I meet regularly with representatives of local authorities and electoral administrators to discuss a wide range of electoral issues.In line with their statutory duty, the Electoral Commission will be publishing a report into the administration of the polls later this year.

Department for International Trade

Food: USA

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 23 May 2019 to Question 256264, when negotiating a trade agreement with the US Administration if he will ensure that the UK is able to decline to import food produced to lower animal welfare and food safety standards than those of the UK.

George Hollingbery: The Government has made it clear that any future trade deal with the US must work for UK consumers, farmers and food manufacturers as well as protecting the UK’s high standards of food safety, animal welfare and environmental protection. Maintaining safety and public confidence in the food we eat is of the highest priority. Without exception, imports must meet all the relevant UK product rules and regulations. The EU Withdrawal Act will transfer onto the UK statute book all current EU food safety and animal welfare standards.

Poultry Meat: USA

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps he is taking to support and safeguard the interests of the UK poultry meat industry in trade negotiations with the US Administration.

George Hollingbery: The Government has made it clear that any future trade deal with the US must work for farmers, food manufacturers and UK consumers as well as protecting the UK’s high standards of food safety, animal welfare and environmental protection. The existing food safety provisions regarding chlorine and other pathogen reduction treatments for poultry will be transferred into UK law by the European Union (Withdrawal) Act. Without exception, imports will continue to be required to meet the UK’s food safety standards.

Exports: Marketing

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of the (a) operation, (b) maintenance and (c) promotion of his Department's export hub truck (i) since 2016, (ii) in the last year and (iii) in the last six months.

Graham Stuart: The Export Hub is a mobile outreach platform that hosts workshops and advice sessions so that businesses across the UK can access DIT export services on their doorstep. It is available for use by Members of Parliament to help boost exports in their constituencies. The spend on the Export hub is as follows:i) Since the department’s formation in July 2016 to 31st May 2019: £1,465,493ii) Last financial year (2018/19): £446,659iii) Last six months: £205,153We are not able to break these costs down by operation, maintenance and promotion.

Trade Agreements: South America

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, when he plans to lay before the House the UK's trade agreement with Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.

George Hollingbery: Pending the completion of the necessary internal procedures, the UK-Andean Countries Trade Agreement will shortly be laid before Parliament to be scrutinised for 21 sitting days, as set out in the in the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act (CRaG) 2010. The Agreement will be accompanied by both a Parliamentary Report and an Explanatory Memorandum.

Arms Trade: Trade Fairs

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 5 June 2019 to Question 257461 and the Answer of 27 February 2019 to Question 226638, when information about which countries from the human rights priority list are planning to attend Defence and Security Equipment International 2019 will be available.

Graham Stuart: The Department for International Trade (DIT) publishes the list of international delegations invited to Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) on gov.uk shortly before the event and updates this to indicate which countries attended after the event.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

5G: Defence

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Defence on the potential military applications of 5G technology.

Margot James: Ministers have regular discussions with their Cabinet colleagues on a wide range of issues, but have not discussed the specific issue of the potential military applications of 5G technology.

Cultural Heritage: Railways

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the answer of 9 May 2019 to Question 249255, what the outcome was of the meeting between his officials and heritage rail sector representatives; and if he will make a statement.

Rebecca Pow: My officials held a productive meeting with representatives of the heritage rail sector in May and they continue to have ongoing discussions with DEFRA on this subject. They committed to raise the issues discussed with their relevant counterparts in Government, and to undertake further discussions with the heritage rail sector following this.

Football: Sportsgrounds

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he is taking to prevent the loss of council-owned football pitches in order to support grass roots football.

Mims Davies: The Government recognises how important it is that local communities have access to good sporting facilities. That is why in partnership with the FA and the Premier League we are investing more money than ever before, through the Football Foundation charity, to significantly improve the access and quality of community football facilities across the country. This year a combined £70million will go to this important area. To inform and direct future investment, new local football facility plans are being produced for every local authority in England. The plans will be in place by 2020 and will identify local priorities where investment in grassroots facilities is needed the most. Sport England also has a role in protecting sport pitches as a statutory consultee in the planning system. Sport England objects to all applications unless the developer can prove it will improve or safeguard sports provision. For the period between April 2016 and March 2017, 93% (1,102 out of 1,187) planning applications affecting playing fields resulted in improved or protected sports provision.

Third Sector: Finance

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of (a) funding and (b) other resources provided by (i) Government, (ii) local authorities and (iii) other sources to locally-based charities and voluntary organisations.

Mims Davies: Locally based charities provide vital support and services for those in need in our communities. Government launched Local Charities Day in 2016 to recognise this contribution and grow support. We understand that some have seen significant change in their funding environment in recent years. This is why government has supported the sector to become stronger and more sustainable. Most recently our Civil Society Strategy has reiterated our commitment to maintaining a thriving charity sector.

Youth Services

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the Civil Society Strategy, what the timetable is for reviewing guidance on the statutory duties of local authorities to provide appropriate local youth services.

Mims Davies: In August last year, my department published the Civil Society Strategy, in which the Government committed to review the guidance which sets out the statutory duty placed on local authorities to provide appropriate local youth services. An announcement will be made shortly. We expect that the review will provide greater clarity of Government’s expectations, including the value added by good youth work.

Broadcasting: UK Trade With EU

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the value of the UK's broadcasting exports to the EU in the last 12 months.

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate he has made of the number of UK TV programmes sold to EU-based channels in the last 12 months.

Margot James: Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) economic estimates based on the latest available data show that the total value of exports to the EU from the audiovisual sector, which include exports of radio and television broadcasting activities, was £9.9 billion in 2016. The government has made no assessment of the number of UK TV programmes sold to EU based channels.

Leader of the House

Early Years Ministerial Group on Family Support

Lucy Powell: To ask the Leader of the House, who will Chair the ministerial group on family support from conception to the age of two; and when the review by that group is planned to be published.

Mel Stride: The Early Years Family Support Ministerial Group is considering how the Government can improve the coordination and cost-effectiveness of early years (conception to age 2) family support and identify gaps in available provision. The decision to appoint a new Chair is a matter for the Prime Minister to decide, and the Group will make recommendations to Secretaries of State in due course.

Sinn Fein: Finance

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Leader of the House, how much Representative Money has been made available to elected Members who have not taken the Oath since it was introduced in 2006.

Mel Stride: Under a resolution of the House, Representative Money is provided to opposition parties represented by Members who have chosen not to take the Oath.The method of calculation for both Representative Money and Short Money is detailed in a comprehensive House of Commons Library briefing note on the subject: https://researchbriefings.parliament.uk/ResearchBriefing/Summary/SN01663Budget allocations for Representative Money since 2005-6 are published in Appendix 4 of this document.There has been a requirement to publish the amounts paid since 2016-17 onwards and these are set out on the Parliament website at the following link:https://www.parliament.uk/site-information/foi/transparency-publications/hoc-transparency-publications/financial-information/financial-assistance-to-opposition-parties/

Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority

Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority: ICT

John Spellar: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, pursuant to the Answer of 20 May 2019 to Question 253492 on Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority: ICT, what the evidential basis is for the assertion that the new system will save time for Members and their staff.

Mr Charles Walker: The Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.